The Fellowship of Fighters
by Shinn Asuka- Destiny's Warrior
Summary: KoF characters in place of LOTR:FOTR ones. Please be gentle: this is my first fic. Please R&R.
1. Prologue The World is Changed

Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Rings - KoF-Style  
  
Disclamer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to New Line Cinema and J.R.R. Tolkien. I also don't own King of Fighters - that belongs to SNK. This is a crossover fanfiction between the Lord of the Rings story and the King of Fighters game. That being said, the fanfic might not stay true to both the LOTR and KoF storylines - just an early warning, especially since it takes place in the old times or Middle-Earth, not the modern. (^_^) Please do not copy my work without my permission. Feedback isgreat stuff in my eyes, so if you need to get hold of me, my e-mail address is kyona_kusanagi@yahoo.co.uk and my website is http://groups.msn.com/TheQueenOfFighters. Arigatou!  
  
PART ONE.  
  
Prologue  
  
(voice of Athena) The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.*parp* .SHINGO!!!! (shingo's voice) Eheh.Gomen Nasi, Athena-Chan. (Athena continues) Now where was I? Oh yeah. Much that once was is lost, For none now live who remember it.  
  
In the Orochi Plains, the Orochi joined forces with an underground team of scientists and fighters called N.E.S.T.S., and created in secret a Master Ring to help the Orochi dominate the world. Into this ring, the Orochi poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life.  
  
One Ring to rule them all.  
  
One by one, the countries of the world fell to the combined powers of Orochi and the Ring.  
  
But there were some who resisted.  
  
A last Alliance of fighters from across the globe marched against the clone armies of N.E.S.T.S. where they fought on the lands of Mordor for the freedom of the world. Victory was near, but the power of Orochi's Ring could not be undone.  
  
It was in this moment, when all hopes had failed, that one of the fighters took up his deceased master's sword and and sliced the Ring from Orochi's hand. Powerless and drained from the battle, Orochi was defeated. The Ring passed to the victorious fighter, who now had this one chance to destroy it forever, but the hearts of men are easily corrupted, and unknown to everyone, the Orochi Ring of Power had a will of its own. It betrayed the fighter to his death.  
  
And some things that should not have been forgotten, were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the Ring passed out of all knowledge.  
  
However, one day, when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer in the form of a fighter called Choi Bounge, who kept it in secret in his home where it began to take over him.  
  
Darkness crept back into the world. Roumer grew of a shadow from the East. .Whispers of a nameless fear.  
  
And the Orochi Ring of Power perceived that its time had now come. It abandoned Choi when his home was raided by thieves and was sold off to the most unexpected person for an Orochi Ring.  
  
Saysiu Kusanagi.  
  
And the time will soon come when tournament fighters will shape the futures of all. 


	2. Enter the Gatekeeper

Chapter One  
  
Shingo Yabuki was busy sitting against a tree and jotting notes in his ever-present notebook. He had just undergone another rigorous training session with his new master - his missing master's father, Saysiu Kusanagi.  
  
Ever since his former master Kyo Kusanagi had left him and had then suddenly disappeared completely, his father Saysiu had taken it upon himself to train the young Yabuki Hobbit to become a more confident and efficient fighter in the annual King of Fighters tournaments.  
  
Occupied with his writings, Shingo was no aware of a faint humming sound of a voice as its owner approached. Believing he recognised the voice, Shingo finished scribbling his notes down and put his pen and notebook away in his pocket before jumping to his feet and going to greet the newcomer, a smile creeping upon his face as he quickened his pace.  
  
At last he stopped running when he saw the person strolling happily along on the pathway into the courtyard at the bottom of the grassy hill where he had been sitting.  
  
"You're late."  
  
Shingo crossed his arms and smirked matter of factly at the woman, who stopped in her tracks, her black hair flowing gently on a slight breeze that blew past.  
  
She turned to Shingo.  
  
"Chizuru Kagura, the Sorceress is never late, Shingo Yabuki," she looked at him. "Nor is she early. She arrives precisely when she means to."  
  
The two fighters continued to stare at each other for a long time, their gazes never faltering as if they were sizing each other up before a match.  
  
Suddenly, Shingo let out a laugh as he hugged Chizuru, who also broke into a grin. "It's great to see you again, Kagura-Sama!"  
  
"Well, you didn't think I would miss your Master's birthday party, did you, Shingo?" Chizuru laughed.  
  
Shingo laughed again. "Not at all! Come! This way! I will take you to see him." he began to walk down the path towards the Kusanagi household.  
  
As they walked, Chizuru could see the various banners and decorations being put up for Saysiu's party and she smiled. "And how is your master these days?"  
  
"He seems. well, occupied recently," the smile left Shingo's face for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe he's still trying to get everything sorted out for the big party. So many paople are invited from all over the place! I get a headache just looking at the list of guests!" he paused. "But I really do think he's up to something."  
  
Chizuru didn't reply but she mentally took note of Shingo's words as he led her to the Kusanagi household.  
  
"Well, must be getting on with my training, Kagura-Sama," Shingo stood outside the main doors for a beat before turning to walk away. "But it's good to see you again!"  
  
Chizuru watched Shingo leave before she turned and knocked politely on Saysiu's door.  
  
Within a few seconds, a flustered-looking Saysiu Kusanagi opened the door with more than enough force. Any heated words that might have been on his lips, however, vanished as soon as he saw Chizuru's face.  
  
"Miss Kagura! Come in, come in!" Saysiu laughed heartily as he put an arm around her shoulder, leading her inside the house. As like the outseide, there were also various banners and assortments decorating the interior of the palace.  
  
"Would you like some tea?" asked Saysiu, who then flashed a smile. "Or perhaps something a bit stronger?"  
  
"Tea would be great, thank you, Saysiu." Chizuru said politely.  
  
"Ah, since my poor wife passed away, I've had to make and plan everything myself, including this party," Saysiu said, heading towards the cooking area. "Shingo tries to help here and there but sometimes it's best for him to stay out of the way since he sometimes ends up causing trouble as oppsed to helping."  
  
Chizuru laughed, looking around the room and at the documents on the table next to her. Taking a closer look, she peered at a few maps on the table, stopping abruptly as Saysiu spoke again.  
  
"Such a long time has passed since I have really done anything exciting, Chizuru," he sighed as he handed her the teacup. "I'd love to see the world again. Find a nice place to stay for a while and finish the book that I have been writing."  
  
"So you mean to go through with your plans then?" Chizuru asked. "Travel the world and all."  
  
"Definetely. Everything's been arranged."  
  
Chizuru took a sip from her tea, seemingly lost in thought for a while, before she announced "Shingo suspects something, you know. I mean, you are going to tell him that you're leaving for a while, aren't you? He is very fond of you, you know. Especially since Kyo."  
  
She trailled off, not wanting to mention Saysiu's missing son's name.  
  
Saysiu stood silently for a few moments, his face unreadable. Then he bypassed the topic of his son totally. "Shingo would probably want to follow me if he knew I was leaving," he began to start pacing and Chizuru noticed his hand reach into his pocket for something. "I'm getting too old for this fighting business, Chizuru. I need to take time away from training Shingo and the King of Fighters tournaments. Possibly a permanent one."  
  
That night, the whole area around the Kusanagi residence was filled with a joyful atmosphere as the party went into the night. There were fireworks and music, food and drink. Everybody was happy.  
  
And then came the time when everyone was calling for Saysiu to give a birthday speech.  
  
Saysiu Kusanagi stepped upon the stage and cleared his throat, glancing around at everyone in the huge courtyard before he started to speak.  
  
"My dear friends from all over the world, today is a special day for me. But looking back, it is such a short time to have spent with such excellent and admirable fighters and friends. To be honest, I don't even know half of you as well as I should like, and it could be said that I actually like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."  
  
Some of the smiles trailed off amongst the crowd.  
  
"Well. I have things which I still think I need to do whilst I'm still in this world," Saysiu's hand reached into his pocket and take something out, placing it in his hands behind his back, and from the crowd, Chizuru noticed this. "Therefore, I regret to announce that this is the end. I'll be leaving now, and I bid all of you a very fond farewell," he looked at Shingo and whipsered "Goodbye."  
  
And then he was gone.  
  
Saysiu had vanished into thin air, leaving the crowd to gasp in surprise and shock.  
  
Whilst the crowd of people were searching for the missing Saysiu, somewhere in the Kusanagi residence, doors began to slide open by themselves, leading towards Saysiu's room.  
  
As the door into his room closed and locked, Saysiu Kusanagi reappeared again, laughing to himself as he removed what appeared to be a gold ring from his finger.  
  
He put the ring back into his pocket and went to get his belongings to leave.  
  
"I suppose you think that was terribly clever, old friend."  
  
Saysiu jumped in surprise, turning to see Chizuru Kagura standing in the corner of his room, her arms folded.  
  
The look of surprise soon fadeded as Saysiu smiled and continued to gather his things. "Come now, Chizuru. Did you see the look on their faces?"  
  
"There are few magic rings in this world," Chizuru continued regardless. "And not one of them should be used lightly."  
  
"It was just a bit of fun. Some drama for the guests to take home with them. And I'm sure it was a surprise that none of them will soon forget," Saysiu then sighed and admitted "You're probably right, Kagura, as usual," he grabbed a travel bag. "You will keep an eye on Shingo, won't you?"  
  
"Two eyes," Chizuru nodded with a lop-sided grin. "Whenever I have the chance."  
  
"I'm leaving everything to him whilst I'm gone."  
  
"And the ring? Will that be staying too?"  
  
"Of course. It's in an envelope on my desk." Saysiu gestured behind him before pausing and saying "No, wait. I have it. Right here in my pocket."  
  
He took the gold ring out of his pocket, staring at it as he constantly turned it over in his hands. "Isn't that funny?" he seemed lost in thought. "I mean, after all, why shouldn't I keep it with me?"  
  
Chizuru stood beside him, concern on her face. "I think you should leave the ring behind. Is that so hard to do?"  
  
Saysiu looked at her and shrugged. "Not really." he turned back to the ring. "Now it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine.I found it..It came to me!"  
  
Chizuru frowned at this sudden change of attutide. There was something about that ring.  
  
"It's mine.My own.My Precious."  
  
"Precious?" Chizuru's head snapped up and out of her thoughts. That name. "It's been called that name before, Saysiu. But not just by you."  
  
Saysiu threw his hands up in the air in anger and frustration. "What business of yours is it about what I choose to do with my own things?"  
  
"I think you've had that ring quite long enough, Saysiu." Chizuru tried to coax him into giving it to her but he backed away.  
  
"You want it for yourself!"  
  
"Saysiu Kusanagi!" Chizuru was suddenly surrounded with a powerful aura that seemed to fill the entire room with an ominous energy. "Do not underestimate me! I am not trying to rob you," and then as quickly as it had appeared, the strange aura was suddenly gone again and her voice toned down as she added "I'm trying to help you. All these years, we've been friends. Please, just trust me as you once did. Let the ring go."  
  
Saysiu's face seemed to drawn now as he looked at Chizuru with an tired look upon his face. "You're right, Chizuru. Give the ring to Shingo Yabuki."  
  
With that, he grabbed his belongings and headed for the door.  
  
"Saysiu."  
  
He stopped upon hearing her voice.  
  
"The ring is still in your pocket."  
  
"Oh. Yes." Saysiu took out the ring, staring at it for a long time before he finally dropped it onto the floor and strolled out of the door. "Goodbye, Chizuru."  
  
"Take care, Saysiu Kusanagi," Chizuru called softly after him as he left. "Until we meet again."  
  
Later that night, after all the guests had left, Shingo Yabuki was still looking for his master. He had searched throughout the courtyard and was now looking through the household. His first though was to try Saysiu's room.  
  
"Kusanagi-sensei?"  
  
Shingo cautiously opened the door into the room, only to find Chizuru Kagura sitting there at the desk and peering out of the window muttering thoughts to herself.  
  
As he went to approach her, his foot kicked something lying on the floor and he bent down to see what it was.  
  
A gold ring.  
  
He looked towards Chizuru a frown upon his young face. "Kusanagi-san has left, hasn't he?" He walked towards her. "He used to say that he was going to travel around the world one day. I didn't think he'd leave so soon."  
  
Chizuru didn't answer.  
  
Shingo was now standing beside her. She didn't seem to notice him - her mind far away. Shingo's frown deepened. "Chizuru-sama?"  
  
This time, Chizuru stopped her musings and turned to look at Shingo, the gold ring in the open palm of his hand. "Saysiu has gone travelling for a while. I think he's going to visit some friends," she smiled comfortingly up at him. "He's left you the palace whilst he is gone. All of it." She held out an open envelope, gesturing for Shingo to put the ring into it. He obeyed and she sealed the envelope shut with an old wax seal before giving it back to him. "This ring is yours now. Put it somewhere out of sight."  
  
Chizuru got up from the chair at the desk.  
  
"Where are you going?" asked Shingo, a look of confusion on his face. There was something strange going on.  
  
"There are some things which I must see to." Chizuru headed for the door.  
  
"What things?"  
  
"I need to find the answers to some questions I have." Chizuru grabbed her coat.  
  
"But you've only just gotten here," Shingo called after her as he ran to catch up. "I don't understand. What's going on?"  
  
Chizuru stopped in her tracks and turned around to look appologetically at Shingo. "I don't quite get it wither, Shingo. That's why I have to go. I need to research into something. But for now, just keep the ring secret, okay? Keep it safe."  
  
With that, she was gone. 


	3. Betrayl at Isenguard

Chapter Two  
  
Chizuru Kagura had travelled as fast as she could to seek more information upon the strange ring which Saysiu had found. She was now sat at her home, looking through various manuscripts and books, hoping to find more news on anything akin to what she had seen at the Kusanagi residence.  
  
She didn't know how many hours she had been going through the archive files and books until she had found something which caught her eye. It was an account written by an ancient fighter about the findings of an Orochi Ring of Power. She began to read the page aloud to herself.  
  
" '.It has come to me. The Orochi Ring. It shall be an heirloom for my clan. All those who follow in my bloodline shall be boudn to its fate for I will risk no harm to this ring.'" Chizuru's eyes narrowed slightly as she continued to read. " 'It is precious to me. The markings upon the ring begin to fade. The writing, which at first was as clear as red flame, has all but disappeared. It is a secret now in which only fire can tell.'"  
  
Chizuzu looked up from the page, her eyes wide. She had to get back to Shingo.  
  
Somewhere else, on the outsirts of the village, a shrouded figure on horseback approached a startled passer-by, whispering only one word.  
  
"Kusanagi."  
  
The stranger, too fearful for his own life, quickly pointed in the direction of the Kusanagi household, high upon a hill in the distance.  
  
With that, the dark rider rode off in that direction, leaving the stranger to flee home as fast as he could.  
  
  
  
Back in the Kusanagi residence, Shingo had just finished seeing to it that all the mess from the party had been tidied up. He was making his way to the bedrooms when he thought he heard a noise coming from Saysiu's room. Frowning, he decided to investigate.  
  
Shingo slowly entered the dark room to find the window open and a breeze blowing in, rustling the papers on the desk.  
  
'Odd.' thought Shingo. 'I thought I had shut the window.'  
  
As he went to close the window, something caught hold of him from out of the darkness.  
  
Startled, Shingo fell spun around, tripped over his feet and fell onto the ground on his backside.  
  
"Is it secret? Is it safe?" Chizuru demanded almost desperately as she looked down at Shingo, who quickly scrambled to his feet.  
  
Immediately, Shingo ran into his room and searched through the bottom drawer in one of the bedside tables and pulled the sealed envelope from the bottom of it. Before he could do or say anything else, Chizuru had snatched the envelope from his hand, took it to the fireplace, and thrwe the whole thing into the fire.  
  
"Hey! What are you doing?!?!" Shingo exclaimed as he watched the envelope burn. He watched as Chizuru used a poker to retrieve the ring from the fire and was even more surprised when she told him to hold out his hand.  
  
"Don't worry, Shingo. The ring is quite cool," she assured him as she placed it onto his open palm. "Now tell me, can you see anything on it?"  
  
"There's nothing there," Shingo aswered. "What's going on?"  
  
Chizuru turned away, sighing heavily. It wasn't the ring she thought it was.  
  
Just then, she heard Shingo exclaim "Wait, wait! There are markings on the ring!" she turned to watch him scrutinize the ring before he announced "I can't read the writing on it. It's in a weird language."  
  
"It's the language of the Orochi," Chizuru told him solemnly. "I will not speak it here. Basically, it says 'One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them'."  
  
"Cute poem," Shingo grinned at the ring before his smile faded. "Wait a moment. Did you say Orochi??"  
  
"What you hold in your hand, is the ring forged by the Orochi with the help of the N.E.S.T.S. team thousands of years ago." Chizuru explained.  
  
"Kusanagi-sensei found it."  
  
"Yes, and evil is stiring upon the lands. The ring has awoken," she leant forwards towards Shingo. "It has heard its master's call."  
  
"But he was defeated. Orochi was defeated." Shingo insisted, feeling the shivers run down his spine.  
  
"Defeated, Shingo. Not killed."  
  
Shingo sank into a nearby chair.  
  
"The life force of the Orochi is bound to the ring. The ring survived. Orochi is returning." Chizuru paused for a while to let her words sink in. This had become a very serious matter. "Orochi's army would have multiplied. And we are only too familiar with N.E.S.T.S. Orochi now only needs the ring to plunge this world into a second darkness. He is already seeking the ring. And the ring yearns above all else to return to it's master. Orochi must never find it."  
  
Shingo looked at the ring which he had now put on his desk. His mind was swirling with all this information that Chizuru had just given him. Orochi was coming. That name alone could knot his stomach.  
  
Suddenly, he snatched the ring from his desk, looking desperately around his room. "Okay. Okay. We put the ring somewhere. We keep it hidden and never speak of it again. I mean, nobody knows it's here, do they?" Shingo stopped when he didn't get a reply straight away. He turned and looked at Chizuru, his eyes wide. "Do they?"  
  
"There is one other who knew that Saysiu had the ring," Chizuru admitted. "I looked everywhere for Choi Bounge. But it seems as though N.E.S.T.S. have found him already. I don't know how long they had tortured him for, but all he told them was one word, which was sufficient enough for them: Kusanagi."  
  
"But that will lead them here!!" Shingo wailed, putting his hands on his head in dismay before he thrust the ring towards Chizuru. "Take it, Chizuru! Take the ring!"  
  
"No, Shingo. I cannot." Chizuru backed away, her eyes wide.  
  
"You have to take it!"  
  
"You cannot offer me this ring!"  
  
"I'm not offering you, I'm giving it to you!"  
  
"Don't tempt me, Shingo Yabuki!!" Chizuru practically screamed at him, effectively silencing him. And then, in a quieter voice, she added "I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Please, Shingo, understand me. I would use this ring for a desire to do good, but through me, it could weild a power too great and terrible to imagine."  
  
"But it can't stay here!" Shingo whined, feeling as if his words were just not getting through to the Gate Keeper.  
  
"It can't." Chizuru agreed.  
  
"The what must I do?"  
  
"You must leave. At once. Get out of here and make for the next village of Bree."  
  
"What about you?" Shingo hastily grabbed a travel bag and began to shove some clothes into it.  
  
"I'll be waiting there for you. At the local inn."  
  
"Will the ring be safe there?"  
  
"I cannot tell," Chizuru shook her head. "I must meet with an old acquaintance now. He is very powerful and informative. He should know what to do. But in the meantime, you will have to travel by first name only. Don't speak of the names Kusanagi or Yabuki. It is not safe anymore," she handed him more essentials to pack. "Travel by day only and stay off the roads."  
  
"I knew cross-country at school was good for something." Shingo forced a smile.  
  
Chizuru was touched by his bravery. She smiled at him and was just about to say something when they heard a noise from outside the window of Shingo's room.  
  
"Get down." Chizuru whispered to Shingo in warning as she moved stealthily towards the window. Suddenly, she reached out of the window and dragged the intruder into the room, ready to beat them into a pulp, but stopping as she recognised the person.  
  
"Damnit! Sie Kensou! Have you been spying on us?"  
  
Kensou, another Hobbit and friend of Shingo's, covered his head with his arms in fear. Chizuru was furious, her eyes blazing like fire.  
  
"I haven't, I swear!" Kensou whimpered. "I came back to speak to Shingo and I heard raised voices. I didn't mean any harm!"  
  
"What did you hear? Tell me now!" Chizuru wasn't showing signs of her anger diminishing.  
  
"I'm sure it wasn't anything important," Kensou gulped. "Just something about a ring and the Orochi and the possible end of the world.. Please don't kill me!"  
  
To his surprise, Chizuz seemed to calm down. "As much as I would like to for you eavesdropping on us, but I can think of a better use for you." She looked at Shingo and they smiled knowingly at each other.  
  
  
  
Dawn was approaching when they finally had everything sorted out and were leaving the Kusanagi household, Chizuru and Shingo walking together and Kensou struggling to catch up as he carried a heavy travel sack.  
  
They stopped at the edge of the forest surrounding the walls of the huge palace as the sun began to rise from over the mountains.  
  
"Be careful, both of you," Chizuru told Shingo and Kensou. "Our enemy has many spies in this world," she looked at Shingo. "Is it safe?"  
  
Shingo nodded, patting his pocket.  
  
She put her hands on his shoulders, looking him seriously in the eye. "Never put the ring on, okay? The agents of Orochi will be drawn to its power if you do. Just remember, Shingo, that the ring is trying to find its way back to its master. It wants to be found."  
  
With that, Chizuru leapt upon her horse and rode off down the path as fast as she could, leaving Shingo and Kensou alone to face the wild forest and the rest of the lands in which they had hardly traveled through before.  
  
"Smoke rises from the Mountain of Doom, where the Orochi once battled before. The hours grow late, and the great Sorceress, Chizuru Kagura has ridden here to Isengard to seek answers." A shrouded wizard stood at the foot of stairs leading into a great tower as Chizuru approached on horseback, dismounting in front of the figure. "For that is why you have come, is it not, my friend?"  
  
"And for someone whom I have known for so long, I still do not yet know your name, my friend." Chizuru prompted at her strange aquaintance.  
  
"Names matter not," the shrouded figure said as they began to walk. "Tell me, what troubles the Sorceress?"  
  
"You are sure of this?" the cloaked wizard sounded surprised when Chizuru had finished explaining her predicament to him as they walked within the tall tower.  
  
"Absolutely," Chizuru nodded. "Beyond any doubt."  
  
"So.The Orochi Ring of Power has actually been found. And all these years, it has been in Saysiu Kusanagi's possession?"  
  
Chizuru nodded. "It was in a place I visited so frequently."  
  
"And yet you didn't have the wit to see it? Not even sense it?"  
  
"But we still have time to counter Orochi's second coming if we act quick enough."  
  
"Time?" The harshness of the shrouded figure's voice startled Chizuru for a split second. "What time do you think we have? Orochi will have regained much of his strength by now. He cannot yet take a physical form, but his spirit has lost none of its potency, and concealed within his fortress, he will see all. His gaze will peirce cloud, shadow, earth and flesh," the widard leant forwards towards Chizuru. "You know of what I speak of, Kagura. A great eye, lidless and wreathed in blue flames."  
  
"The eye of Orochi." Chizuru's voice was barely above a whisper now.  
  
"He is gathering all things evil to him," he continued. "Very soon, with the aid of N.E.S.T.S., he will have created an army great enough to launch an assault upon Middle-Earth."  
  
"You know all of this?" Chizuru frowned. She wasn't liking any of what she was hearing. And, more importantly, she wanted to know how he knew all of this. "How?"  
  
The reply was simple, as the wizard gestured at a covered object in the middle of the room. "I have seen it."  
  
Chizuru suddenly realized what he was pointing to and her mouth fell open in surprise. "A palantir is a dangerous tool!"  
  
"Why do you think that?" the tone of his voice was almost challenging as he uncovered the crystalline orb. "Why should great people like us fear to use such a thing?"  
  
"Because not all of the lost seeing-stones are accounted for, that's why! We don't know who else may be watching." Chizuru grabbed the cloth and pulled it back over the orb, gasping as she felt a jolting presence and saw an eye wreathed in blue flames that seemed to momentarily pierce her mind. She looked at the shrouded figure.  
  
"The hour is later than you think, my friend," he chuckled. "Orochi's forces are already on the move, and The Nine have left Minus Morgul."  
  
"The Nine." breathed Chizuru. She could feel her heart thudding wildly in her chest.  
  
"Yes. They crossed the River Isen on Midsummer's Eve, disgused as horseriders in black."  
  
"They've reached the Kusanagi residence?"  
  
"They will find the ring, Chizuru. And they will kill the one who carries it."  
  
"Shingo." Chizuru whispered under her breath. Without further hesitation, she ran for the door, only to see it shut before she could reach it.  
  
"Who are you?" Chizuru demanded. Things were now turning for the worse. She needed to get out of here and reach Shingo and Kensou as fast as she could. They were in grave danger.  
  
"You didn't honestly think that two boys could contend with the combined forced of N.E.S.T.S. and the Orochi, did you?" Laughing, the figure ripped off the shrouds to reveal K9999 of the N.E.S.T.S. organization. "There are none who can!"  
  
With a gasp, Chizuru stepped back in shock. This was all a trick. She had unknowingly leaked information to the N.E.S.T.S. organization. K9999 laughed madly. "Victory will be ours, Gate Keeper! You will join us or you shall die!!"  
  
Chizuru didn't answer as she got into a fighting stance. She would never - not even consider - joining with N.E.S.T.S. or the Orochi. Her mind was already made up.  
  
"You are a fool!" K9999 sneered as he attacked with his Get Lost move. Chizuru flipped out of the way, somersaulting in the air and landing a kick to K9999's face.  
  
"Cursed witch! I will make sure your death is slow and painful." Suddenly, K9999's arm began to mutate and it coilled tightly around Chizuru. "I gave you the chance of joining us, but you have chosen the pathway of pain and death!" K9999 laughed insanely as Chizuru screamed. 


	4. Shadows of Nightmares

Chapter Three  
  
"Shingo?"  
  
Sie Kensou looked around the massive crop field that they were passing through. Shingo seemed to have disappeared.  
  
"Shingo?"  
  
Kensou called a little louder this time, glancing around himself with wide eyes. He'd never been this way to the village of Bree before. Only Shingo knew the way.  
  
Suddenly, Shingo appeared from around the small pathway dividing two sets of crops. "I'm over here, Kensou. What's the matter?"  
  
Kensou breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought I'd lost you."  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Shingo, frowning.  
  
"Oh. Just something Miss Kagura said," Kensou answered a little sheepishly as he looked at the ground in front of him. "She said to me 'Don't you lose him, Sie Kensou.'," he looked up and at Shingo. "And I don't mean to, Shingo."  
  
Shingo let out a small laugh. "Kensou! We're barely out of the forest," he smiled warmly and added "What could possibly happen?"  
  
Kensou returned the smile and opened his mouth to say something when he was suddenly bowled over by a fleeing figure, who tumbled over Kensou and landed in a heap on the floor. As Shingo went to help his friend up, he too was knocked over by another person. Looking up, he saw the face of a very familiar Hobbit grinning down at him.  
  
"Heya, Shingo!" Chris looked over at his comrade. "Hey, Bao! It's Shingo Yabuki!"  
  
"Hi, Shingo!" Bao, another Hobbit, giggled before being thrown to the ground by Kensou, when was immediately there at Shingo's side to pull Chris away from his friend. "Come on, Shingo. Let's go."  
  
They were just about to walk off when they were stopped by Chris and Bao handing them some vegetables.  
  
"What's the meaning of this?" Shingo looked confused.  
  
Kensou looked at the pile of vegetables in his arms and then looked back at the two other young fighters with a look of realization dawning on his face. "You've been stealing from the village's crop fields!"  
  
No sooner had Kensou spoken, did all four boys hear the barking of dogs, followed by a bellowing voice.  
  
"You get back here, you little thieves!! You know what's gonna happen when I catch up with you??"  
  
"Run!" shouted Chris and Bao at the same time as they cut through another field of crops.  
  
Shingo and Kensou exchanced panicked glances, their hands full of stolen vegetables, before they followed suit, running after Chris and Bao as fast as they could.  
  
"I don't know why that guy's so upset," panted Chris as he ran as fast as he could alongside Bao, Shingo and Kensou right behind them. "It's only a couple of carrots."  
  
"And some cabbages and tomatoes," Bao pipped up. "And those sacks of potatoes last week. Oh, and those mushrooms the week before-"  
  
"Yes, Bao," Chris cut in hastily. "But my point is that guy is seriously overreacting!"  
  
Suddenly, the land cut out in the form of a steep hill and Chris skidded to a halt at the very last moment, putting his arm out to stop Bao from falling over the edge of it. Luckily, they stopped just in time. But before either of them could let out a sigh of relief, Shingo and Kensou ran into them, sending all four of them tumbling uncontrollably down the hill and landing in a heap on the bottom of it.  
  
There was silence for a long moment as none of them moved from their akward positions on the ground. Then, Bao was the first to break the silence.  
  
"Well, that was close."  
  
Kensou was up in a flash, glaring at the two other boys. "Trust you two to land us all in a predicament like that!"  
  
Chris looked at Kensou and grinned as he shrugged. "What? It was just a detour, Kensou. A shortcut, so to speak."  
  
"Shortcut?" growled Kensou. "To what?"  
  
"To more mushrooms!" Bao lept up excitedly as he spotted some wild mushrooms growing along the path. He grabbed a small sack and began to pluck them, Chris and Kensou forgetting about everything else as they went to help.  
  
Shingo stood up, brushing himself off and shaking his head at his friends' behaviour. He was just about to comment when a strange whispering seemed to sound around him. He stopped, looking cautiously around, trying to trace the source of the sound over the cheerful comments of his friends over the fresh mushrooms groing wild along the path.  
  
"I, er. I think we should get off the road, guys." Shingo's voice was barely above a whisper and he turned around to see the three Hobbits still busy with filling the small bag with mushrooms and the vegetables which they had dropped earlier on.  
  
Suddenly a shrill shrieking sound filled the area ahead of them and Shingo reckoned he could see the pathway ahead begin to darken as an evil aura began to fill the space ahead, growing stronger and stronger.  
  
"Get off the road!" yelled Shingo, pushing Chris, Bao and Kensou to the side of the pathway and under the huge roots of a nearby tree and Shingo noticed that everything in the woodlands had suddenly gone suprisingly quiet. Even the birds had stopped singing. All he could hear was the sound of an approaching horse and he gestured at his three friends to keep quiet as they all huddled beneath the giant root of the tree just off the pathway.  
  
In the near silence, they could hear the horse stop just next to them on the pathway, it's rider dismounting with a heavy thud, and through a slight arch between the tree root and the ground, Shingo could see armoured boots and long black shrouds.  
  
Just then, a pair of gauntletted hands gripped the root in which the boys were sheltering under and they could all sense an evil presence scouting for something. A large spider crawled over Bao's shoulder but Chris' gaze made him hold back on doing anything.  
  
As all of this was happening, a weird sensation was beginning to overcome Shingo. His eyelids seemed to grow suddenly very heavy and, without knowing what he was doing, he began to take the ring out of his pocket, drawing it towards his finger.  
  
The peircing neigh of the cloaked horseman's steed snapped Kensou's attention to his far right and his eyes opened wide when he saw Shingo about to slip the ring onto his finger. In a flash, he reached over past Bao and pulled Shingo's hand away from the ring, whilst at the same time, Chris threw the small sack of vegetables over in another direction of the woods. The sound of the sack falling onto the vegetation alerted the mysterious rider and with a shrill sound that sent shivers down the boys' spines, it rode off in that direction.  
  
As soon as they felt that the strange rider had gone, the four boys tore off deeper into the woodlands.  
  
"What the heck was that??" Chris asked, trying to keep his voice low as he looked at Shingo and Kensou.  
  
The four boys stopped running, Chris and Bao looking expectantly at Kensou and Shingo. Kensou shook his head in a silent answer whilst Shingo continued to stare at the gold ring in his palm.  
  
Later, as night began to fall, the four young Hobbits had nearly reached the large river at the edge of the woods. The shrill and haunting sounds of the mysterious rider and his steed still ecchoed occasionally throughout the area, making all of them uneasy and cautious wherever they went. They ran as silently as they could, sometimes hiding behind the thick bases of the trees and peering out to see if their path was clear of any danger.  
  
"See anything?" asked Kensou as Shingo ran ahead, creeping around a tree to see where the rider had gone.  
  
"Nothing." Shingo answered, a puzzled look upon his face. He could have sworn he had seen a shadow just moments before.  
  
Standing next to Kensou, Chris and Bao exchanged glances before Chris finally spoke up. "Look, guys. What exactly is going on here?"  
  
"That black rider was looking for something," Bao glanced at Shingo. "Or someone," he walked over to Shingo, Kensou and Chris close behind him. "Right?"  
  
Shingo turned to look at Bao, a slightly hunted look in his eyes.  
  
"Get down!" Chris suddenly whispered harshly and all of them dived for the bushes as the black rider appeared on his steed, highlighted by the faint moonlight at the top of the hill in front of them for a brief moment, before disappearing down the other side of it.  
  
"I have to leave here," Shingo whipsered to Bao and Chris. "Kensou and I must get to Bree."  
  
Chris looked at Shingo and the two held each other's gazes for a brief moment before Chris nodded. "There's a ferry nearby on the riverside. Follow me."  
  
He got up and darted across the woodlands, making for the river, Kensou, Shingo and Bao close behind him. They didn't get far before the dark rider seemed to appear out of nowhere and cut in front of Shingo, the black steed rearing up and letting out a hellish sound.  
  
"Run!" shouted Bao, back tracking and hading in another direction, grabbing Shingo's hand and pulling him along. "This way! Follow me!"  
  
The dark rider seemed confused at first - the boys had split into groups of two - but then he sensed the presence of the Orochi Ring and guided his stallion in the direction of Shingo and Bao.  
  
Shingo ran as fast as he could, trying to seek a clear path ahead of him as he followed Bao to the riverside. He could hear the thundering of the horse's hooves approaching from behind him and pushed himself to run even faster. As he and Bao cleared the edge of the woodlands, they could see Chris and Kensou running a few yards ahead of them, appearing from the other side of the woodlands. 'At least they're ok." Shingo thought to himself.  
  
The four Hobbits climbed over the wooden fence that marked the boundary of the woods, and ahead of them, they could see the wooden jetty that lead to the small boat that was the ferry.  
  
"Undo the rope, Kensou!" Chris shouted as he and Kensou reached the boat first. Kensou hastily dived at the thick rope which was securing the boat to the jetty, his fingers working fast to try and untie the large knot.  
  
Bao was the third to jump onto the small boat. He spun around just in time to see Shingo stumble and fall on the ground. "Hurry, Shingo!" he yelled. Shingo scrambled to his feet, his heart racing like nothing he had ever felt before. As he resumed his sprint towards the boat, he stole a glance over his shoulder just in time to see the dark rider's horse leap over the fence, clearing it completely. The sight of it made fresh panic surge from within him as he saw that the distance between himself and the rider was greatly decreasing.  
  
"Come on, Shingo!" shouted Kensou, who had finally managed to release the boat from the jetty. "Jump!!"  
  
Shingo could see the boat starting to gradually drift away from the jetty and forced his protesting legs to run faster as his feet hit the wood of the jetty. The whinny of the horse was laouder than before now and at the last moment, Shingo leapt from the edge of the jetty and landed on the boat where Kensou was there to catch hold of him, stopping him from falling in the water.  
  
The dark rider's stallion jolted to a halt at the last minute, avoiding a plunge into the river and all four of the young Hobbits on the boat could hear the hellish scream of frustration that came from under the black hood which covered his face in shadows. Then, the rider turned his horse and rode off along the bankside.  
  
"How far to the nearest crossing?" Shingo's voice was shaking.  
  
"20 miles to the Brandywine Bridge." Kensou's eyes were still wide as he remained gazing in the direction that the dark rider was leaving.  
  
"Look!" Bao gasped as he pointed in the same direction as Kensou's gaze. The dark rider continued to ride on, and was soon joined by two others, dressed in the same fashion and all riding black stallions. 


	5. The Prancing Pony Inn

Chapter Four  
  
The night had grown stormy.  
  
Shingo, Kensou, Chris and Bao cautiously poked their heads round the corner, looking for any signs of trouble. The gates of the village Bree was right in front of them, the heavy wooden doors shut tight.  
  
"Come on." Shingo whipsered. The rain had soaked his travel cloak and hood and he wanted nothing more than to get out of the rain. Well, that and the mysterious dark riders which they had not seen since their encounter in the woods. They probably didn't know where the boys were now anyway.  
  
Shingo stood at the large doors, hesitating only for a brief moment before knocking loudly on the wood as his friends gathered around him.  
  
Not long after, an old and rather irate and soaking man opened a small hatch, peering suspiciously at them.  
  
"Hobbits. Four Hobbits!" the old man sounded highly suprised before he then demanded "What do you want?"  
  
"We're heading for the Prancing Pony Inn." Shingo replied. That was something to add to an already bad day. A rude old man.  
  
The hatch closed again, and for the briefest of moments, Shingo thought that they had just been shut out. Then, one side of the doors opened and the old man stood there with his oil lantern, his frame taking up the entire doorway. Evidently, they still had a chance of being locked out from the village.  
  
"What buisness brings you children to Bree?" the old man looked almost disdainfully at them and Shingo felt like just decking the man and walking through.  
  
"We wish to stay at the inn," Kensou told the old man, seeing that Shingo was growing quite irate. "And our buisness is our own."  
  
Suprisingly, the old man simply nodded and let them enter the village. "All right, young sir," he said in a more civilised tone. "I meant no offense. It's my job to ask questions after nightfall. There's talk of strange folk around," he shut and locked the doors again. "Can't be too careful."  
  
The Prancing Pony Inn was full of people and Shingo was afraid that they would not be able to spot Chizuru Kagura. The smell of beer and food hung in the air, which in itself smelt slightly stale and sweaty. Shingo wrinkled his nose at the musty odour before approaching the chubby man on the other side of the bar, whom he assumed only to be the owner of the place. "Excuse me, sir?"  
  
The jolly owner turned and walked towards the group of boys. "Good evening, young masters. If you're seeking some accommodation for this stormy night, we've some cozy Hobbit-sized rooms available, Mr..?"  
  
"Natsumi. My name is Natsumi." Shingo lied with a smile.  
  
"Mr. Natsumi."  
  
"We're friends of Chizuru Kagura," Shingo continued. "Can you notify her that we have arrived?"  
  
"Miss Kagura?" the owner seemed a bit puzzled. "Kagura. Oh yes! I remember her. Tall, slim, long black hair."  
  
Shingo nodded. They were finally getting somewhere.  
  
"Not seen her around for several months."  
  
Or maybe not.  
  
There was a confused look on Shingo's face as he turned to his friends, who had undoubtedly heard that Chizuru was not at the Inn.  
  
"What do we do now?" asked Kensou.  
  
An hour later, Kensou and Shingo sat at a table in the Inn, drinks and food in front of them. Chris and Bao had gone off to the bar to try out some of the inn's beverages.  
  
"Kensou," Shingo began, breaking the uncomfortable silence at their table. "Kagura-sama will be here. She will come." His words were actually aimed more at himself rather than his friend who was busy munching away at his food.  
  
Just then, Chris and Bao returned with two different drinks. Bao looked from his mug at Chris'. "What's that?"  
  
"This," Chris announced proudly. "Is a pint."  
  
"They come in pints?" Bao looked innocently at Chris' mug. "I want one!" and he disappeared off towards the bar again.  
  
"You'll get him drunk." Shingo told Chris.  
  
"It's his life, not mine." Chris shrugged, taking a swig of his beer.  
  
Kensou nudged Shingo, drawing his attention away from Chris. "Hey, Shingo. See that guy?" Kensou gestured discreetly towards a man on the other side of the room. "That guy's done nothing but stare at you ever since we arrived here."  
  
At first, Shingo didn't want to glance over in Kensou's direction, but eventually, his eyes cast a quick gaze over at the lone man sitting in the corner of the room. The guy was covered mostly by his hood and cloak, leaving Shingo to wonder who he was, and whether he had anything to do with the stranger riders in the woodlands.  
  
Shingo stopped the owner of the inn as he took food to a table near them. "Excuse me, sir, but who is that man sitting alone in the corner?"  
  
The owner looked over at the stranger and then back at Shingo. "He's one of them Rangers. Dangeroiius fold, wandering the Wilds," the owner replied in a hushed voice. "I don't know what his name is, but around here, the people call him Strider."  
  
"Strider." Shingo repeated, unconsciously turning the gold ring in his hands as the owner left. He wasn't sure of it, but he thought he heard a soft but deep voice coming seemingly out of nowhere, whispering his name.  
  
Yabuki.  
  
"Shingo Yabuki?" a familiar voice suddenly cut into his thoughts. "Sure I know him." Shingo looked over in time to see Bao talking to some guys at the bar and gesturing over in his direction. "He's over there."  
  
Shingo leapt out of his seat, moving towards Bao. Chizuru had told him that he should not let people know of the names Kusanagi and Yabuki. Bao could be giving him away to the enemy.  
  
"Bao!" Shingo grabbed Bao's arm in an attempt to shut him up, but he tripped backwards over someone and went sprawling onto his back, the ring flying from his hand.  
  
No!  
  
Shingo couldn't afford to lose the ring!  
  
He stretched out his hand in an attempt to grab it from the air, and then felt the band of gold metal slip onto his index finger before he vanished from sight, much to the surprise of everbody in the inn.  
  
And at that very moment, in some other part of the land, the three dark riders felt the presence of the Orochi Ring of Power and they turned their rearing stallions towards the direction of the source.  
  
Shingo Yabuki found himself in a barren land filled with dark shadows.  
  
Just moments before, he had been at the Prancing Pony Inn in the village of Bree.  
  
Now?  
  
He wasn't even sure where he was.  
  
You cannot hide.  
  
Shingo turned around, hearing that same voice again. This time it was louder.  
  
I see you.  
  
His eyes opened wide at the sight before him, feeling his skin heat up at the blue flames that surrounded the giant slit-like eye.  
  
The eye of Orochi.  
  
There is no life in the Void.  
  
Shingo scrambled backwards in an attempt to get away from the fear- inducing sight.  
  
Only death.  
  
Desperately, Shingo grabbed hold of the gold ring on his finger and pulling it off. If putting it on took him into this place, then in theory, taking it off would do the exact opposite.  
  
The ring slid off his finger and Shingo let out a gasp as he found himself back on the floor of the Prancing Pony Inn.  
  
What had just happened?  
  
Suddenly, there was a firm hand on his shoulder, roughly pulling him up.  
  
"You draw far too much attention to yourself, 'Mr. Natsumi'." The Ranger - Strider - was holding him in a death grip as he pulled him up the stairs to the rooms above, shoving him into one of the rooms which Shingo coud only guess was his before his was thrown to the ground.  
  
Shingo jumped to his feet, looking at the hooded and cloaked figure. "What do you want?"  
  
The Ranger's answer was simple and sent a shiver down Shingo's spine. "A little more caution from you is all I ask of," he replied. "That is no trinklet which you carry."  
  
"I carry nothing." Shingo tried to sound indignant but he could see that it wasn't fooling the stranger.  
  
"Indeed," Strider seemed to mock. "I can avoid beeing seen if I wish," he put out the candle lighting the room with his fingers. "But to disappear entirely like you have just displayed? That is a rare gift."  
  
The aura seemed slightly familiar but Shingo couldn't quite recognise it. He narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"  
  
"Are you frightened?" the answer came in the form of another question which Shingo already knew the answer to.  
  
"A little, maybe."  
  
Strider turned to face him, removing his hood to reveal silvery-white hair and piercing brown eyes. "Well, you're not nearly frightened enough, Shingo Yabuki, for I know what hunts you."  
  
Suddenly the door to the room burst open and Strider turned to greet the intruders with his sword.  
  
"Let him go! Or I'll have you!" Kensou didn't drop his fighting stance. Neither did Chris or Bao, who stood behind Kensou.  
  
Strider swung his sword and sheathed it again. "You have a stout heart, little Hobbit," he told Kensou casually yet his voice still had a slightly menacing tone to it as he added "But that will not be enough to save you." He then looked at Shingo. "You can no longer wait for the Gate Keeper, Shingo. They are coming."  
  
The old man that was guarding the gates to the village of Bree sat trying to keep warm in the small shelter next to the large doors when he heard the sound of horses followed by a harsh banging at one of the doors.  
  
Getting up, he approached the door to open the small hatch, wondering who could be seeking shelter this time.  
  
He had just opened the hatch when suddenly, the two doors, still bolted locked, crashed forwards and on top of him. He didn't have any time to register what had just happened when the force of the dark riders'horses hooves crushed him to death, all of them heading straight for the Prancing Pony Inn.  
  
The dark riders - four of them now - entered the inn swiftly yet silently, their swords drawn, ignoring the owner cowering in the corner behind the bar, fearful for his life as they headed up the stairs. They entered the room where they found the four boys sleeping soundly with the sheets covering them totally. They would not see their fates coming as each of the dark riders positioned their swords over the warm bulks under the sheets, all of them stabbing brutally downwards, peircing the beds straight through in continuous strokes.  
  
From another inn on the other side of the street, Strider watched silently from the window in the darkened room, his hand remaining on his sheathed sword, as the four dark riders destroyed everything in the room that the four boys had booked for the night.  
  
Soon after, heard the shrill screams of frustration that came from the same room and could only imagine the anger of the four dark riders - or Ringwraiths as he knew they were also called. They had all been tricked.  
  
The hellish screams woke the four young fighters as they slept in the large beds in the same room as Strider, all of them looking at the Ranger with wide eyes. Each of them knowing that they had all been spared early deaths.  
  
"What are they?" Shingo finally asked, still half-listening to the screams of fury from across the road.  
  
The Ranger turned slowly to face the four young Hobbits.  
  
"They were once men," he replied in a soft tone of voice. "Nine members of the Yagami Clan. Until one day, Orochi offered them states of ultimate power. Blinded by their greed and lust for greater strength, they took the offer without question. All of them fell into darkness." he glanced out of the window at their retreating forms.  
  
"The Yagami Clan?" whispered Kensou, his eyes wide.  
  
Strider looked back at them and nodded before continuing. "Now, they are slaves to his will," he paused. "They are the Nazgûl. Ringwraiths. Neither living nor dead. At all times, they can feel the presence of the Orochi Ring of Power. They are drawn to the power of it," he directed his gaze towards Shingo. "They will never stop hunting you so long as you possess the ring." 


	6. Screams in the Night

Chapter Five  
  
They had left the village of Bree at dawn, Strider leading the four young fighters as he walked ahead with his steed trotting beside him.  
  
"Where are you taking us?" Shingo demanded, following behind the Ranger.  
  
Strider's answer was simple "Into the Wild."  
  
"How do we know Strider, Ranger or whatever they call him, is a friend of Chizuru Kagura?" Chris whispered to Shingo as they delved deeper into lands which they had never seen before.  
  
Shingo didn't take his gaze from the Ranger as he quietly replied "We have no choice but to trust him, Chris."  
  
"But where is he leading us?" Kensou asked as he brought up the rear of the small group, holding the reins of a pony the Ranger told them to use for carrying some of their belongings. He hadn't realised how loudly he had mused unbtil Strider spoke again.  
  
"I'm taking you to Rivendale, Master Kensou."  
  
"Did you hear that?" Bao said, his voice still as cheerful as ever. "Rivendale. We're going to see the Elves!"  
  
It was coming towards late morning now and Strider had stopped for a moment to work out the best way to Rivendale when he heard some commotion and turned around to see the four young fighters unpacking food and pans from the pony. Kensou was already trying to gather some wood for a small fire.  
  
"We do not stop untill nightfall." Strider told them, pulling a bit of a disgusted face at their pathetic attempts to start a fire.  
  
"What about breakfast?" Kensou inquired. Surely even the Ranger had to eat something.  
  
"You've already had it." came the reply.  
  
"We've had one, yes," Kensou shrugged. "What about second breakfast?"  
  
This time, the Ranger did not reply. Instead, he turned on his heels, muttering something under his breath as he walked onwards.  
  
"I don't think he knows about second breakfast, Kensou." Bao tried hard not to laugh, as well as Shingo and Chris, who were packing the food back into their packs.  
  
"What about elevenses? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper?" Kensou whined. "He knows about them. Doesn't he?"  
  
Chris started after the Ranger. "I wouldn't count on it, Kensou."  
  
At that, something was thrown out of the greenery ahead of them and Chris caught it in his hand.  
  
The object turned out to be an apple and Chris handed it to Kensou before proceeding to walk after Strider.  
  
Kensou stared at the apple in his hand, a child-like pout formimg on his lips before.  
  
"Itai!"  
  
.he was hit right on the head by another apple that was thrown from the same location.  
  
Elsewhere, K9999 glanced at the palantir in front of him.  
  
"The power of Isengard is at your command, Orochi, Lord of Middle- Earth," K9999 hissed gleefully as the eye of Orochi appeared within the crystalline orb.  
  
The blue flames liked at the edges around the terrible eye and it focused on K9999, making him feel slightly unnerved. Then he heard the voice of Orochi echo around him, the sound of it deep and deadly.  
  
Build me an army worthy of Mordor, the Mountain of Doom.  
  
K9999 turned around and, as if on cue, three strange lizard-like creations of N.E.S.T.S. laboratories which had been named Orcs, entered the room.  
  
"What orders from Mordor, my lord?" asked one of the Orcs. "What does the great Eye command?"  
  
K9999 looked at the sleazy N.E.S.T.S. creation. "We have work to do."  
  
Consciousness returned slowly and painfully to Chizuru Kagura.  
  
She could feel a cold breeze and the sound of the wind whip around her as she finally managed to open her eyes. Forcing herself to stand, she realised that she was standing on some kind of circular platform.  
  
Drops of icy rain fell from the skies, seeming to make her groggy mind focus more.  
  
Where was she?  
  
Frowning and holding her head, she edged cautiously towards the edge of the platform, peering over it. What she saw made her drop to her knees and scramble backwards to the center of the circular platform.  
  
She was on the very top of the huge tower.  
  
And it was an extremely long way down.  
  
The Orcs had been at work all day.  
  
K9999 grinned as he looked around, inspecting their progress as he walked around the woodland area surrounding the base of the tower.  
  
Trees were being felled all around him.  
  
One of the chief Orcs approached him.  
  
"The Trees are strong, my lord," it reported. "Their roots grow deep."  
  
K9999 looked at the chief Orc. He didn't care about the trees. He didn't care about how deeply they dug their roots into the ground. He only wanted to complete this new task.  
  
"Tear it all down," he finally said to the chief Orc. "Let nothing get in your way."  
  
"This was the great watchtower of Amon Sûl."  
  
Strider gazed around at the small stone fort that they were standing within. It was in ruins. Then, he shifted his gaze from the dark skies and back to the four young fighters and announced "We shall rest here for tonight."  
  
Almost immediately, the four Hobbits collapsed into heap against the walls. None of them had been travelling for so long with minimal breaks. They were all extremely worn-out.  
  
Before any of them could get cozy, Strider dropped a heavy rolled up weapons carrying case in front of them and began to unveil the arsenal stored within it.  
  
"These are for you," Strider took four swords out, tossing one to each of the boys. "Keep them close," he stood up and started to head off. "I'm going to have a look around. Stay here."  
  
With that, he was gone, leaving the four young Hobbits to marvel at their new weapons.  
  
Later that night, Shingo was awoken by the sound of his friends and a small cracking sound.  
  
"My tomato's burst."  
  
"Can I have some bacon?"  
  
"Want a tomato, Kensou?"  
  
Suddenly, Shingo realised that the cracking sound was actually the sound of a campfire and he immediately leapt to his feet, looking at the three boys.  
  
"What are you doing??" he asked incredulously.  
  
"Tomatoes, sausages and nice crispy bacon," Bao replied, unnaturally cheerful for the time of the night. "Nothing like a good midnight snack!"  
  
"We saved some for you, Shingo." Kensou said, offering Shingo a plate of food as he approached them, but Shingo didn't care for the food.  
  
"Put the fire out!" Shingo yelled at them, kicking the sandy ground on the fire to smother the flames.  
  
The other three boys were just about to retort to Shingo's actions when they suddenly heard a shrill scream that pierced the air and darkness around them.  
  
Afraid of what was coming, Shingo ran to the broken edge of the watchtower and looked down, vaguely aware of Chris, Bao and Kensou standing beside him.  
  
Below them, five of the Nazgûl were emerging on foot out of the dense fog that was starting to cloud the ground. All of them were moving towards the watchtower.  
  
"Go!"  
  
In a flash, Shingo drew his sword and pushing his friends away from the edge of the watchtower, noticing that they too were unsheathing their own swords as they ran up the broken stairs to the top of the ruined structure.  
  
Once at the top, the four of them stood back to back, continuously turning in a tight circle, trying to anticipate where the Nazgûl woud strike from.  
  
Shingo saw the first one emerge out of the shadows. The shrouded warrior stood there for a moment, his gauntletted hand gripping the hilt of his sword, drawing it and holding it in front of him.  
  
The other four Ringwraiths soon followed the first one, all appearing from the darkness and advancing on the four boys, aiming their deadly swords at them.  
  
"Get back!" Kensou suddenly lunged at one of the Ringwraiths with his sword, only to be overpowered and thrown into a heap on the other side of the watchtower.  
  
Seeing this, Chris and Bao quickly stepped in front of Shingo in an act of protection, shielding him from the Ringwraiths. Their efforts were also in vain as two of the Nazgûl pulled the two boys away from where they stood, leaving Shingo to fend for himself.  
  
Terrified, Shingo immediately forgot his combat training and dropped the sword, stumbling backwards, tripping over s piece of rubble and falling to the ground, where he desperately tried to think of something.  
  
The ring.  
  
Shingo quickly reached into his pocket for the ring and one of the Ringwraiths suddenly turned and advanced towards Shingo, drawing his blade.  
  
Shingo backed up in fear, soon finding his back against a wall. He coiuld see the rest of the Ringwraiths following close behind the first one, who was already preparing to drive his sword into him. With that, Shingo shoved the ring onto his finger, disappearing once more from sight.  
  
Shingo found himself back in the Void.  
  
This time, instead of seeing shadows in place of people, when he gazed up at the Ringwraithes, he could see them as white figures. They were no longer covered in black shrouds, but were now like soulless humans.  
  
Shingo, having been taught by Kusanagis, knew about the Yagami Clan enough to see a resemblance in the eyeless and slightly shrivelling beings that stood before him.  
  
Then, as the first stretched out it's emaciated hand towards him, Shingo could feel the ring on his finger pulling his hand towards the Ringwraith's own, the ring itself appearing to have a mind of its own.  
  
Grunting with effort, Shingo finally managed to pull his hand back, the Ringwraith also pulling back in suprise of Shingo's sudden burst of strength and will. The surprise, however was short-lived as he lifted his sword again and speared the blade into Shingo's shoulder, making hism scream in almost unbearable agony. And then suddenly the blade was gone and a shadow filled the space between the Ringwraiths and Shingo, giving Shingo a change to release the ring from his finger and look up just in time to see Strider charge in to fend off the Nazgûl as Kensou rushed to his side.  
  
Strider proved to be an excellent swordsman, leaping in to engage in battle with his sword in hand, driving the Ringwraiths away from the wounded Shingo. He ducked a swing from the nearest Ringwraith before producing a golden-orange flame in his right hand and setting the Nazgûl's black shrouds alight and sending it stumbling into another Ringwraith where the flames transferred onto the second one's shrouds. Then, he sent the other two retreating after the first two with his swordfighting skills, leaving the path clear for Chris and Bao to run towards Kensou and Shingo.  
  
His back turned, the Ranger almost missed the last of the Nazgûl heading in the direction of the four boys.  
  
Almost.  
  
Strider spun around, throwing an arc of flames at the last Ringwraith, setting it's black shrouds on fire and seeing to it that he retreated with the others before he could hear urgent toned voice.  
  
"Strider!!"  
  
Upon hearing Kensou's voice, he turned and headed back to the group of boys.  
  
Shingo was laying on the floor, writhing and gasping in pain.  
  
Kensou looked up at the Ranger. "Help him, Strider."  
  
The Ranger picked up the weapon used against Shingo from where it lay on the floor. After a moment of examining it, he confirmed the idednity of the dagger before the blade of it suddenly disintegrated into ashes.  
  
"He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade," he picked up Shingo with haste and care at the same time. "This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs Elvish medicine. Let's go. Hurry!"  
  
"We're six days from Rivendale!" Kensou wailed in dismay as he struggled to keep up with the Ranger as they headed off once again. "He'll never make it!"  
  
Strider didn't reply Kensou as he carried a barely conscious Shingo over his shoulder. Instead, all he whispered was "Hold on, Shingo. Hold on." 


	7. Unexpected Meeting

Chapter Six  
  
Back at Isengard, the Orcs had made great progress. They had uprooted a significant part of the surrounding woodlands and were now tunnelling deep underground where they continued to carry out their plans.  
  
Atop the tower of Isengard, Chizuru Kagura could only watch N.E.S.T.S. carry out their new task from where she sat.  
  
Just then, something caught her eye and the sorceress stretched her hand out to catch the small moth that was fluttering in the air around her, looking at it as it rested on her hand before whispering something to it and letting it fly into the night again.  
  
Deep underground, the Orcs were making solid weapons and armoury for the army that they were to create.  
  
K9999 stolled through the area, a twisted smile upon his face as he headed towards a particular area where Orcs were digging.  
  
A few years ago, N.E.S.T.S. had created a powerful army, stronger than the Orcs that they had created many years ago. However, it seemed that such strong forces were not yet needed, so they stored their creations deep in the ground around the Isengard tower. But now that Orochi was in need of an army worth reckoning, K9999 could see no better time to unleash this new force than at the present.  
  
He stood watching as one of the Orcs pulled one of the twisted bodies from the muddy ground, only to see it suddenly come to life and grab the surprised Orc by the throat. The rest of the Orcs behind K9999 couldn't help but wince or take a few steps back as the captured Orc's neck made a loud and sharp crack before going totally limp.  
  
K9999's eyes sparkled with evil as he looked at one of N.E.S.T.S. latest creations, standing before him with a feral look in the glinting red eyes.  
  
"Shingo?"  
  
Sie Kensou knelt by his wounded friend as the group rested for a while, checking his temperature, aware that Shingo's dark brown eyes were already becoming clouded and sickly. "He going cold!"  
  
"Is he going to die?" Bao looked at the Ranger who was checking the vegetation around them.  
  
Strider turned to look at Bao. "He's passing into the Shadow World. If we cannot get him help in time, he will soon become a Wraith like the Nazgûl."  
  
A piercing scream echoed around them, making them instinctively reach for the hilts of their weapons.  
  
"They're close." Chris whispered, looking at the area around them, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword.  
  
"Kensou," Strider looked at him. "Do you know what the Athelas plant looks like?"  
  
"Athelas?"  
  
"Kingsfoil."  
  
"That's a weed ain't it?" Bao interrupted.  
  
"Bao, help me to look for some of it," Strider started searching the woods nearby. "It may help to slow the poisoning. Hurry!"  
  
The Ranger was scanning the ground quickly. Shingo would die if they could not get help for him soon.  
  
No.  
  
He wouldn't die.  
  
He would become an almost mindless slave, working for the Orochi.  
  
It wasn't long before he found the plant he was looking for. There was a huge clump of it growing on the ground in front of him.  
  
Strider set to work immediately, drawing a small dagger and cutting a sufficient size of the small weed from the large patch.  
  
He was so intent on getting the Kingsfoil back to Shingo that he had not noticed that there was somebody else in the woods untill the sharp blade of a sword was pressed against his neck.  
  
"What's this? A Ranger caught off his guard?" came a feminine voice from behind and K' immediately recognised who it was.  
  
Shingo was drifting in and out of consciousness.  
  
He wasn't entirely sure of what was happening to him - aside from the fact that he had been in a great deal of pain that had now subsided to numbness.  
  
Other than that, he had no idea where he was, where everyone else was..  
  
. And what that strange glow of light seemed to be coming from the right of where he lay.  
  
"Shingo."  
  
He turned now in the direction of the light, hearing a soft voice.  
  
"My name is Kula Diamond. I've come to help you."  
  
Kula Diamond. She was truly beautiful. But where did she come from?  
  
"Shingo. Hear my voice. Come back to the light."  
  
Shingo saw the light in front of him slowly disintergrate away and the pain was suddenly back making him grit his teeth.  
  
Kula Diamond looked from Shingo to Strider as he used the sap from the Kingsfoil herbs to try and slow the poison in the wound to Shingo's shoulder, whilst the other three young Hobbits could only stare and watch.  
  
"Who is she?" Bao whispered to Chris and Kensou.  
  
"An Elf." Chris whispered back.  
  
"He's fading," she said in a soft voice. "He's not going to last. We need to get him to Rivendale."  
  
Strider nodded his head and lifted Shingo up, seting him upon Kula's white horse, ignoring the other boy's quaetions as to where they were taking Shingo.  
  
"I've been looking for you for two days," she told him, speaking in her Elvish tongue so that only he could understand. "There are five Waithes behind you. I do not know where the other four are."  
  
"Stay with the Hobbits," Strider whispered to her, using the same language. "I'll send horses for you."  
  
"I'm the faster rider," Kula told the Ranger. "I'll take him."  
  
"The road is too dangerous."  
  
"If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him," she paused and then spoke again in English tongue, her hand over his. "I do not fear the Nazgûl."  
  
Strider looked at her for a moment longer, holding her gaze, before helping her up onto her horse. "Ride hard, Kula. Do not look back."  
  
She looked at him a moment longer before whispering words in Elvish to her horse, which then rode off into the woodlands, leaving the Ranger and the three remining Hobbits behind.  
  
"What are you doing??" Kensou exclaimed as he ran up to Strider. "Those Ringwraiths are still out there!"  
  
The Ranger did not reply. He could only hope that Kula could get Shingo some help on time.  
  
It was day already and Kula's white horse was gallopping through the green fields and woodlands towards Rivendale.  
  
Shingo's condition was worsening with every passing moment, giving her serious doubts as to whether she could reach Rivendale on time.  
  
She was just riding through the middle of the woods when she could sense soomething and turned to her side to see one of the Nazgûl riding through trees alongside her. A glance in the other direction also told of another Ringwraith on the opposite side.  
  
They had found her.  
  
And worse, there were more than two of them.  
  
All nine of the Nazgûl were pursuing her on horseback.  
  
She whispered to her steed to go faster, guiding it through the trees and towards the river. If she could make it across, all would be safe.  
  
The Ringwraiths were closing the distance bit by bit and she urged her horse to go that little more faster as she saw the river just coming into view ahead.  
  
She halted her steed as she reached the other side of the river, turning to see the mounted Nazgûl on the opposide side of the bank. Would they dare to cross the river?  
  
"Give up the halfling, She-Elf!" demanded one of the Ringwraiths, but Kula would not give in so easily.  
  
"If you want him," she challenged, drawing her sword. "Come and claim him!"  
  
On the opposite side of the bank, the nine Nazgûl also drew their swords as they all began to advance across the shallow river towards her.  
  
Kula had been anticipating for this to happen and, under her breath, she began to chant something in Elvish tongue.  
  
Suddenly, the levels of the waters began to rise and a great rushing sound came from the valley around the corner.  
  
The nine Ringwraiths were in the middle of the river and all of them turned just in time to see an immense flood of water come charging down the valley. By that time, it was already too late for them to turn towards either side of the bank, and then they were all hit but the angry, foaming waters of the flood. The nine Nazgûl and their black stallions had all been washed away downstream by the time the waters subsided again along the river.  
  
Kula would have felt truimph in her heart had she not seen Shingo suddenly pitch forwards, nearly falling from the horse.  
  
"No!"  
  
Catching him, she genltly lay him down on the ground as he wheezed and gasped for air like he was being severely strangled.  
  
"Shingo, no! Don't give in!" she knew that her words were in vain as his breathing greatly slowed, becoming shallower before finally ceasing.  
  
She had failed.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED. 


	8. Shingo's Suprise

Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Rings - KoF-Style  
  
Disclamer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to New Line Cinema and J.R.R. Tolkien. I also don't own King of Fighters - that belongs to SNK. This is a crossover fanfiction between the Lord of the Rings story and the King of Fighters game. That being said, the fanfic might not stay true to both the LOTR and KoF storylines - just an early warning, especially since it takes place in the old times or Middle-Earth, not the modern. (^_^) Please do not copy my work without my permission. Feedback isgreat stuff in my eyes, so if you need to get hold of me, my e-mail address is kyona_kusanagi@yahoo.co.uk and my website is http://groups.msn.com/TheQueenOfFighters. Arigatou!  
  
PART TWO.  
  
Chapter Seven "Where am I.?"  
  
Shingo Yabuki's eyes were closed as the young Hobbit slowly regained consciousness. It was a question aimed at nobody in particular and he had not even meant to say it aloud but found that there was somebody close beside him to answer him regardless.  
  
"You are in Rivendale, young Hobbit," the voice had a familiar feel to it but Shingo's groggy mind was still trying to process everything. "And it is ten o'clock in the morning on October the twenty-fourth, if you also want to know."  
  
Finally, after a few silent moments, Shingo found the strength to finally open his eyes and see the warm and very familiar face looking back at him.  
  
"Kagura-sama!"  
  
"Yes. I'm here," Chizuru Kagura, the great Sorceress, could not help but looked relieved that the Hobbit had regained consciousness. "And you're extremely lucky to be here as well. A few more hours and you would have been beyond our aid. You definetely have some strength in you, my dear Hobbit."  
  
A flood of memories rushed back into Shingo's mind and his instinctively put his right hand to his left shoulder, only to find the injust there had been tended to. It wasn't even hurting anymore.  
  
Shingo struggled to sit up in the bed that he was lying in. He looked at Chizuru with a puzzled face. "What happened to you, Kagura-sama? Why didn't you meet us?"  
  
"Gomen nasi, Shingo," Chizuru said softly. "I was. Delayed."  
  
She looked away, recalling at how she had relayed a message through the small moth to send for help in the form of a great eagle which flew to the top of the Isengard Tower to rescue her.  
  
"Kagura-sama? What's the matter?"  
  
Shingo's questioning voice pulled her away from her memory. She looked back at him and forced a smile. "It's nothing, Shingo. Don't worry too much."  
  
"Shingo!"  
  
Another voice caught Shingo's attention and he turned just in time to see Sie Kensou come bounding into the room to greet him.  
  
"Kensou!"  
  
"Shingo! You're awake!"  
  
Chizuru laughed. "Kensou has hardly left your side since the rest of the group reached Rivendale," she smiled again at Shingo before gesturing at another figure entering the room. "And by the skills of Lady Candy herself, I can see that you're already on the mend."  
  
Lady Candy was a wise and highly respected Elf throughout most of Middle-Earth. She stood tall beside Chizuru and smiled at the recovering Hobbit.  
  
"Welcome to Rivendale, Shingo Yabuki."  
  
Later that day, Shingo was reunited with his two other Hobbit friends; Chris and Bao, before he saw somebody whom he thought that he may never see again, sitting on a quiet bench overlooking the peaceful scenery of Rivendale.  
  
"Kusanagi-sensei!" Shingo had run as fast as he could towards Saysiu Kusanagi, who had turned and greeted him with a welcoming smile. The two spent the next few hours catching up on their adventures, and Saysiu showing Shingo his completed book of his travels.  
  
"I meant to go back," Saysiu told Shingo as they sat admiring the view. "Wonder at the powers of Mirkwood. Visit Lake-Town. See the Lonely Mountian again," he sighed and Shingo thought he could detect a hint of sadness in the man who had taken him in and trained him in the arts of fighting, where others would have laughed at the thought of a Hobbit ever learning to fight. "It seems that age is finally catching up with me."  
  
Shingo put a sympathetic hand on his master's shoulder.  
  
"Packed already?"  
  
Sie Kensou jumped at Shingo's voice and he spun to look at him.  
  
"No harm in being prepared, huh?" Kensou shrugged.  
  
"I thought you wanted to see the Elves, Sie Kensou."  
  
"I do."  
  
"More than anything else."  
  
"I did," Kensou looked at the ground in front of him. "It's just." he paused before lowering his voice so that only Shingo could hear. "We did what Kagura-sama wanted, didn't we? We got the Orochi Ring of Power to Rivendale. And I thought, well, seeing as how you're on the mend, we could get back home soon."  
  
Shingo looked at Kensou for a moment, holding his gaze.  
  
"You're right, Kensou," Shingo finally said as the realisation hit him. "We did what we set out to do," he looked at the gold ring in the palm of his hand. "The Ring will be safe in Rivendale," he looked back at Kensou. "And I am ready to go home."  
  
"His strength returns." Lady Candy noted from where she and Chizuru Kagura stood watching the two Hobbits converse on the terrace below them.  
  
"That wound will never fully heal, you know," there was a hint of sadness in the sorceress' voice. "He shall be carrying it for the rest of his life."  
  
"And yet to have come so far still bearing the Ring, the Hobbit has shown extraordinary resilliance to the evil of the Ring." Lady Candy remarked.  
  
"It was a burden which he should never have had to bear," Chizuru sighed. "We can ask no more of Shingo Yabuki."  
  
Lady Candy looked at Chizuru, her face deadpan. "Chizuru. The enemy is already moving. N.E.S.T.S.' forces are massing towards the East. Orochi's eye is already fixed upon Rivendale. And this wizard friend of yours has turned out to be no more than K9999," she looked back out at the peaceful landscape. "Our list of allies grows thin."  
  
Chizuru followed Lady Candy's gaze, her face clearly troubled. "K9999 and N.E.S.T.S. have taken it further still. N.E.S.T.S. have genetically crossed Orcs with Goblin-men. They are creating an army in the caverns of Isengard. An army capable of both moving in sunlight and covering great distances at speed. They are coming for the Orochi Ring of Power."  
  
"If what you say is true," Lady Candy looked back at the sorceress. "Then the evil of the Ring cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves. We do not have the strength to fight both Isengard and Mordor," the look in her eyes was deadly serious now. "Chizuru Kagura. The Orochi Ring of Power cannot stay here."  
  
The two held each other's gazes for a few moments before Lady Candy finally looked away and said "This peril belongs to all Middle-Earth. I have already summoned representatives from the major regions to attend an emergency meeting here in Rivendale. They must decide how to end all of this," she sighed heavily. "The time of the Elves is over. My people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we've gone? The Dwarves?" there was a hint of bitterness in the She-Elf's voice. "They hide in their mountains, seeking riches. They care not for the troubles of others."  
  
Chizuru looked at Lady Candy. "It is in the race of Men that we must now place our hope."  
  
"Men?" Lady Candy seemed to frown. "Men are weak. The race of Men is failing. The blood of Nûmenor is all but spent, it's pride and dignity forgotten. It is because of them that the Orochi Ring of Power survives," her gaze now seemed distant. "I was there, Chizuru. I was there three thousand years ago when instead of being destroyed, the Ring was spared. There is no strength left in the world of Men. They are scattered. Divided and leaderless."  
  
"There is one who could unite them," Chizuru spoke up now. "One who could reclaim the throne of Gondor."  
  
"But he turned from that path a long time ago," Lady Candy spoke plainly. "He chose exile."  
  
Later that evening, Shingo and his friends all stood with Chizuru on a balcony as they watched various people still arriving for the meeting that would take place the following morning.  
  
"That's Andy Bogard, son of the Steward of Gondor." Chizuru nodded at the blond man riding in on his brown horse, his shield slung over his back. He was wearing the clothes of Gondor's royalty, rich in colour.  
  
"Didn't he have a younger brother?" Chris asked. "I'm sure I have fought a Terry Bogard in one of the last King of Fighters tournaments."  
  
Chizuru nodded. "Indeed he does."  
  
"And there is someone else riding here as well!" Bao pointed at a group of three riders all travelling from the same direction.  
  
"Galador from the Grey Havens. The one of the right is Glorfindel. I am not sure where he is from," Chizuru admitted. "And the one riding in the middle of them both is the Prince of North Mirkwood. Sired by the Queen of Mirkwood, I have heard many a tale about that one, though have never met him."  
  
"And here comes Iori Yagami of the Lonely Mountains," Kensou's mouth formed a frown as he saw the red-haired man enter Rivendale with his head held high and his Axe held in one hand. "Of all the representatives they could have sent for the Dwarves, they would have to send him. I mean he's not even a Dwarf as far as I'm concerned. He's from the race of Men."  
  
"Apparently, his cousin is related to the Dwarf race. She is the Queen of Moria, the great Dwarf realm," Chizuru told the four Hobbits. "Besides, there might be more to Iori Yagami than-"  
  
"Hey!" Shingo's excited voice stopped Chizuru and everyone looked at him as he jumped up and down in excitement. "I know who it is riding along with the two other Elves! It's. It's.."  
  
"No way, Shingo." Kensou shook his head, looking from the dark-haired rider and at his hyper friend. "That's an Elf."  
  
"Actually, the Prince of Mirkwood was once from the race of Men, young Hobbit," another voice spoke up and all turned to see Strider standing there. "But he was sired by the Queen of Mirkwood to save his life after he had been seriously wounded escaping from the foul clutches of N.E.S.T.S. He now no longer belongs to the race of Men, and is and Elf like all the others you see around you."  
  
Shingo watched the Prince dismount grafecully from his horse in the main courtyard below them, an elaborate and powerful bow strung over his back with a full set of quivered arrows, and two Elven daggers were also sheathed behind him.  
  
"Recognise him, do you, young Hobbit?" the Ranger asked quizically from behind Shingo.  
  
Shingo scrutinized the Elf Prince. The face. The sparkling dark- brown eyes. The hair - though now long with the three small braids of the Elves - Shingo knew was once much shorter. The Hobbit looked back at Strider, unable to hold back on a large smile.  
  
The Ranger smiled back at Shingo before shouting a greeting to the young Elf Prince, who was also an acquaintance of his.  
  
"Mornie alantië!" Strider called cheerfully in Quenyan, or the language of the High Elves. "You're late, Kyo, Prince of Mirkwood!"  
  
Just want to say a quick thank you to DilaZirk (I will try and make sure the rest of it is a bit different to the movie but I need to get the feel at the mo) and Ramza Lionheart (I think I've fixed the paragraphing for all the chapters now) Please keep reviewing - so then at least I know whether I should do more or not! 


	9. Deciding the Fate of the Ring

Lord of the Rings : The Fellowship of the Rings - KoF-Style  
  
Disclamer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, it belongs to New Line Cinema and J.R.R. Tolkien. I also don't own King of Fighters - that belongs to SNK. This is a crossover fanfiction between the Lord of the Rings story and the King of Fighters game. That being said, the fanfic might not stay true to both the LOTR and KoF storylines - just an early warning, especially since it takes place in the old times or Middle-Earth, not the modern. (^_^) Please do not copy my work without my permission. Feedback isgreat stuff in my eyes, so if you need to get hold of me, my e-mail address is kyona_kusanagi@yahoo.co.uk and my website is http://groups.msn.com/TheQueenOfFighters. Arigatou!  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
In the early hours of the next morning, as the sun began to rise, Kula Diamond and Strider stood on one of the bridges sharing the spectacular view.  
  
"Do you remember when we first met?" Kula asked, breaking the silence, her voice soft.  
  
The Ranger smiled as he recalled those memories. "I thought I had strayed into a dream."  
  
She gazed at him as he brushed a hand through her long ice-blue hair. "Long years have passed. You did not have the cares that you carry with you now," she paused and then asked "Do you remember what I said to you?"  
  
Strider looked at her and as his gaze fell to the beautiful pendant that she was always wearing as he replied "You said you'd bind yourself to me," he looked back at her. "Forsaking the immortal life of your people."  
  
Kula smiled at him, one hand on his shoulder. "And to that I hold. I would rather share one lifetime with you, than face all Ages of this world alone."  
  
The Ranger looked down as he felt something being pressed into his palm. He looked down at his hand to see Kula's pendant in his hand, her own hand holding the sparkling jewel there.  
  
"I choose a mortal life." she whispered to him.  
  
"You cannot give this to me." Strider looked at the young She-Elf, offering her the pendant back, but she pushed it back towards his chest.  
  
"It is mine to give to whom I will," her face drew nearer to his. "Like my heart."  
  
The Ranger didn't have to reply.  
  
"Strangers from distant lands. Friends of old," Lady Candy addressed everyone at the meeting later that day as they sat in a circular shape around a small stone table in the middle of the outdoor council area. "You have all been summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle-Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it," she glanced around at everyone, making sure they got the message. "You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom," she then looked at Shingo who was sat next to Chizuru. "Bring forth the ring, Shingo."  
  
At his cue, Shingo Yabuki stepped nervously forwards, taking the gold ring out of his pocket. Looking around at everyone, he placed the ring upon the stone table and then, without further looks in any particular direction, he sat back at his seat, letting out a sigh of relief. The Orochi Ring of Power was out of his hands. He had fulfilled his task and was now a step closer to getting back to his home in the Kusanagi household.  
  
There was silence from all as everybody stared at the ring on the table.  
  
"So it is true." Andy Bogard was the first to break the uncomfortable silence in the area as he stared at the gold ring with a thoughtful expression before rising from his seat and announcing "It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor. Why not use this Ring?" he looked at everybody for a moment before continuing. "Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor kept the forces or Mordor at bay. By the blood of our people are your lands kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy and let us use it against the Orochi and N.E.S.T.S."  
  
"You cannot weild it," Strider cut in, stopping Andy from continuing. "None of us can. The Ring answers to Orochi alone. It has no other master."  
  
Andy turned to him and scorned "And what would a Ranger know of this matter?"  
  
"That is no mere Ranger whom you speak to!" Kyo was suddenly out of his chair and looking directly at Andy. "His name is K' and he is of Nûmenorian blood. You owe him your allegiance."  
  
Andy was momentarily stunned by the Elf Prince's words and he looked from Kyo to Strider - or K' as he was actually called.  
  
"K'.?" Andy's voice as soft albeit slightly incredulous. "This is a Nûmenorian heir??"  
  
From where he sat, Shingo was staggered by this sudden revelation. The man whom he had though of just as a Ranger and a friend of Chizuru Kagura's had now turned out to be some kind of royalty.  
  
"An heir to the throne of Gondor." Kyo said as he and Andy locked gazes.  
  
From where he had been sitting quietly, K'sighed deeply, rubbing his temples before putting a placating hand up and saying "Sit down, Kyo" in Quenyan.  
  
"Gondor has no king." Andy sneered as he held Kyo's heated gaze evenly before returning to his own seat and glaring at K'. "Gondor needs no king."  
  
"But K' is right nonetheless," Chizuru continued after both Kyo and Andy had sat down again. "We cannot use the Ring."  
  
"You have only one choice," Lady Candy rose from her seat, addressing everyone. "The Ring must be destroyed."  
  
"The what are we waiting for?" Iori Yagami stood up from where he had been sitting and grabbed his axe as he approached the Ring on the stone table and brought his weapon down forcefully.  
  
There was a loud noise and a bright flash as the thick and sharp blade of the axe shattered, the resulting force throwing Iori to the ground whilst the gold ring remined intact on the table.  
  
"The Ring cannot be destroyed, Iori Yagami, by any craft that we here posess," announced Lady Candy. "The Ring was created in the fires of Mount Doom. Only there can it be destroyed," she looked around. "It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the firey chasm from whence it came," she paused for a moment. "One of you must do this."  
  
There came a sudden silence in the area as everyobody cast glances at each other.  
  
"One does not simply walk into Mordor," Andy spoke as if somebody had just told a sick joke. "Ita black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep and the Eye of Orochi is ever-watchful," his voice became increasingly dramatic as he continued. "It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire, ash and dust. The very air you breathe is a poisonous fume. Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It's crazy!"  
  
"Have you heard nothing of what Lady Candy has just said?" Kyo was getting clearly frustrated with Andy as he rose from his chair again. "The Ring must be destroyed!"  
  
"Oh, and I suppose you think you're the one to do it!" Iori scoffed at from the other side of the circle of people.  
  
"And if we fail, what then?" questioned Andy as he also stood from his seat again, taking a step towards Kyo. "What happened when the Orochi takes back what is his?  
  
Iori was also out of his seat and glaring with hatrid at Kyo. "I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf! Or a Kusanagi. Or both!"  
  
Of course, there were other Elves present at the meeting too. And for such insulting words to come from someone who was associated to the Dwarves - whom the Elves were already on disagreeing terms with - most of the other Elves sitting at the meeting began to retaliate.  
  
One thing began to lead onto another and soon, practically everybody was out of their seats and arguing with somebody else.  
  
"Do you not understand?!" Chizuru tried to break up the arguments. "Whilst you bicker amongst yourselves, the Orochi's power grows! None can escape it. You'll all be destroyed!"  
  
Whilst this was happening, Shingo sat at his seat.. He seemed almost oblivious to the shouting and quarreling taking place around him as he continued to stare at the gold ring. The voice was back again, blocking out all other sounds as it whispered continuously in some languge he couldn't understand. The voice was growing louder by the second and soon Shingo couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"I will take it!" he screamed as he jumped from his seat. "I will take the Ring!!"  
  
Upon hearing this, everybody else stopped arguing and turned to look at the young Hobbit standing there in front of the table on which the ring was placed upon, and Chizuru closed her eyes in sympathy for Shingo.  
  
"I will take the Ring to Mordor." Shingo said more quietly, his voice still serious. Then, his face turned to one of slight awkwardness and confusion as he added "Though I do not know the way there."  
  
Chizuru walkied up to him, her face compassionate as she stood behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "I will help you bear this burden, Shingo Yabuki, as long as it is yours to bear."  
  
Next to approach the Hobbit was K', who chrouched in front of Shingo so that he was at eye-level with the small Hobbit. "If by my life or death I can protect you," the Ranger told Shingo. "I will. You have my sword."  
  
"And you have my bow." Kyo added, joining the group, much to Shingo's delight.  
  
Iori glanced at the group, then at everyone else, before sighing heavily and stepping towards the small party and standing on the other side of Chizuru, the furthest away from Kyo as he said "And I guess you have my Axe." He saw the look of unhappiness cross the young Elf Prince's face and inwardly smiled to himself. The journey could prove interesting.  
  
"You carry the fates of us all, little one," Andy approached Shingo, who looked warily back at the tall man. "If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done."  
  
"Hey!" a new voice suddenly pipped up and Sie Kensou ran to join the group from where he had been listening in behind the bushes neaby. "Shingo's not giong anywhere without me."  
  
"No, it seems it's hardly possible to separate the two of you," Lady Candy had a slight look of amusement on her face. "Especially when he is called to a secret Council and you are not."  
  
Kensou looked at the ground with an embarrassed look.  
  
"Wait! We're coming too!" shouted Chris as he and Bao ran to join the group from where they too had been hiding. "You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!"  
  
"Besides," added Bao. "You need people of intelligence on this sort of mission.Quest. er. Thingy."  
  
"Well, that rules you out, Bao." Chris whispered and elbowed his friend sharply in the ribs to silence him before he made an even greater fool of himself.  
  
"Nine companions," Lady Candy looked at what had initially started as such a small group. "So be it. You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring."  
  
"Great stuff," Bao looked proud before he frowned. "Where are we going again?"  
  
Just want to say thanks to DliaZirk for encouragement to go on. I'd love to have more feedback and reviews tho. 


	10. Setting out

Chapter Ten  
  
Shingo Yabuki glanced around.  
  
Moria was a change to the bitter cold of the Caradhras mountain, but in some ways, it was also just as bad.  
  
Although they were on the outside of the Mines of Moria, they were surrounded by the high walls of Moria on one side, and a great shadowy lake on the other. He was already having second thoughts about his choice.  
  
"Maybe we should have taken the Gap of Rohan." Kyo glanced around at these new lands, unable to supress the dread that was welling up within him. He hated the Dwarves as an Elf, and he hated the Yagamis as a Kusanagi. And to end up in a place that was more or less the area belonging to both..  
  
"What's the matter, Kyo?" Iori gave a smug grin as he walked past. "Afraid of the dark?"  
  
Chizuru ignored the two for the moment as she approached part of the wall that was in between two great trees. That part of the wall was significantly smoother than the rest of the great walls around them and she examined it closely.  
  
"Ithildin," Chizuru spoke her findings to nobody in partucular. "It mirrors only starlight." she whispered a spell and the clouds in the sky to reveal a full moon. ".And moonlight."  
  
Suddenly, as if by magic, the smooth area of the wall was illuminated with a bright glow as the moonlight hit the special coatings on the wall, revealing a secret door, elaborately crafted and with Elvish writing at the top.  
  
"It reads, 'The Doors of Moria - Speak friend and enter'." Chizuru translated the letterings with ease.  
  
"What do you suppose that means?" Chris looked at the stone doors.  
  
"Well, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open," Chizuru smiled and then spoke something loudly in Dwarfish.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Chizuru looked at the door before trying again.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
Ten minutes had passed and Chizuru was still trying to get the doors to open.  
  
Kyo was sitting idly in the branch of one of the trees on the side of the stone doors, whilst Iori sat at the base of it, sharpening the edge of his axe.  
  
"The mines are no place for a pony," K' had unloaded all the essentials from his horse's saddle as he had no intentions of taking the animal into the mines. "Even for one so brave as Bill."  
  
"Bye bye, Bill." Kensou stroked the pony's neck as he removed the saddle.  
  
"Go on, Bill. Go on," K' gently nudged the pony in the direction that they had come before turning to Kensou. "Don't worry, Kensou. Bill know's the way back to Rivendale."  
  
Meanwhile, Bao and Chris were growing restless and had now taken up the activity on seeing who could throw a stone furthest into the huge lake before them.  
  
"Do not disturb the water." K' suddenly grabbed hold of both of them, ceasing their activity, the seriousness in his eyes sending shivers down their spines. Andy was soon by his side, watching the water in the lake intently as the ripples subsided, and the two young Hobbits stepped hastily away from the edge of the lake.  
  
"Kagura-sama," Shingo stood next to Chizuru as stood thinking of what the password could possibly be. "What is written on the doors is a riddle." He was oblivious of the ripples in the lake becoming larger. Kensou, Bao, K' and Andy began to back away, whilst Kyo, sensing something, jumped from the tree and headed towards them, deliberately kicking up dirt from the ground into Iori's face, much to the red-head's annoyance.  
  
"It says 'Speak 'friend' and enter'," he looked at Chizuru. "What's the Elvish word for 'friend'?"  
  
Chizuru looked at Shingo, the realisation dawning on her face as she answered "Mellon."  
  
As she spoke those words, the two doors slowly opened before them, revealing the entrance into the dark mines within the walls.  
  
Chizuru and Shingo looked at each other, sharing a smile, before the sorceress called to the rest of the party "Come on. Let's go."  
  
The others followed, still looking warily at the rippling lake.  
  
"Soon, all of you will be enjoying the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves," Iori seemed quite cheerful as they walked into the darkness beyond the doors. "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!" he cast a wicked look in Kyo's direction and added softly "though I can't guarantee the safety of a Kusanagi Elf." Iori then continued speaking to the group as he proudly announced "This, my comrades, is the realm of my cousin Miss X!" he laughed. "And they call it a meer mine!"  
  
Chizuru picked an unlit torch from the walls, holding it out for Kyo to light with his Magatama flames, the fire transferring from his finger and onto the torch, lighting up the area for all to see.  
  
"This is no mine." Andy's mouth fell open in shock as he glanced around at the decayed and skeletal bodies of dead Dwarves. Cobwebs had already covered the majority of them, indicating that they were long dead. "It's a tomb."  
  
The realisation was quick to dawn upon the group and the four Hobbits lept back in fear at the sight of a corpse at their feet.  
  
"No." Iori looked around, taking in the scene with horror in his eyes. "No!"  
  
Kyo yanked an arrow from one of the bodies, quickly analyzing the design of the bolt before throwing the arrow back down and bringing his bow and arrow into hand. "Goblins."  
  
K' and Andy were quick to also draw their swords.  
  
"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Andy said as calmly as he could, his eyes darting around the dimly-lit room. "We should never have come here. Now let's get out of here. Everybody out!"  
  
Shingo suddenly let out a yell, and everyone turned around just in time to see two tentacles shoot from the lake, wrapping around Shingo's legs, dragging him towards the water. "Help!"  
  
"Shingo!" Kensou, Chris and Bao were there in a flash, Kensou and Chris trying to pull Shingo back, whilst Bao was hacking at the two great tentacles with his sword.  
  
The tentacles seemed to let go of Shingo, retreating back into the lake, giving the young Hobbits a few seconds to drag Shingo back a few more inches, before the waters of the lake suddenly exploded with more tentacles heading towards them.  
  
Chris, Kensou and Bao were all knocked away as Shingo was grabbed once more by whatever was in the lake, the limbs hauling him high above the lake and out of anybody else's reach as K', Andy and Kyo got to the scene.  
  
The three fighters were quick to act, Andy and K' using their swords to cut through the mass of thick limbs whilst Kyo targeted the tentacles that held Shingo with his arrows.  
  
As some of the tentacles of the creature were chopped or speared, more and more seemed to grab hold of Shingo, holding him upside down above the water where the rest of the creature's hideous form began to rise from beneath the surface of the lake. A gaping mouth with razor-sharp teeth appeared and Shingo screamed in terror as he found himself being lowered towards it.  
  
Just then, he felt himself being jerked through the air as K' cut through the thick tentacles that had a hold of him, sending him tumbling through the air, only to be caught by Andy in the water.  
  
"Into the mines!" Chizuru shouted to them from the stone doors of Moria as she pushed Bao, Kensou and Chris back into the corpse-filled room. At the moment, the huge creature was blocking the way that they had come from Caradhras and with it beginning to close in on them, the only safe place was back in the mines.  
  
"Kyo!" Andy waded through the waters with Shingo still held tightly in his arms. K' was close behind him, trying to fend off the creatures tentacles as it began moving after them, rapidly gaining distance between them.  
  
Kyo stood at the entrance to the mines, setting one of his arrows alight with his flames before scoring a direct hit into the creature's face, making it roar in pain, buying some time for Andy and K' to get out of the lake, before the creature resumed following them.  
  
"Into the cave!" K' grabbed hold of Kyo's arm and pulling him into the mine as the creature moved out of the lake and onto the rocky land, still determined to catch up with it's prey.  
  
The old stone foundations of the entrance to the mine began to crumble as the creature tried to force it's way through the smaller doorway, still in hot pursuit of K', Kyo, Andy and Shingo.  
  
"Move!" K' shouted to the others as the ceiling above the entrace began to cave in, sending large and heavy boulders and rocks crashing down to the floor, sending up a cloud of dirt and dust which snuffed the flame from Chizuru's torch, plunging the room into darkness as the last rocks fell.  
  
For a moment, all that could be heard was the sound of falling pebbles and the panting of some members of the group. Then, Chizuru's voice broke the near silence.  
  
"Someone give me a flame," the sorceress said and was replied by a flame from K's hand, which she used to relight her torch, casting a dim lighting in the room again. "It seems, we now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria," she headed to the stairs, passing the other members of the Fellowship. " Be on your guard. It is a four-day journey to the other side. And there are older and foulder things than Orcs in the deep places of the world."  
  
"I think she's hinting at you." Kyo whispered in Iori's ear as he walked past the red-head.  
  
"It would do you good to keep your cocky attitude in check, Elf," Iori growed as he walked up the stairs behind Kyo. "Because at the moment, I am quite tempted to see just how far I can shove your precious bow up your-"  
  
"Will you two please stop your bickering for a moment!" Chizuru hissed at the two rivals before, reaching the top of the giant stairs, she stopped in her tracks, glancing at the three different paths in front of them.  
  
"What's the matter, Kagura-sama?" Shingo asked quietly as he stood beside her.  
  
Chizuru looked at each of the different pathways ahead of them, each of them appearing almost identical. "I have no memory of this place." 


	11. A Rocky Start to the Journey Already

Chapter Nine  
  
It wasn't until the next morning when the Fellowship finally set out on their journey to Mordor. Chizuru was leading the group, followed by Iori, Andy, and the four Hobbits, whilst K' and Kyo brought up the rear.  
  
Shingo looked at the sword Saysiu Kusanagi had given to him the night before they had departed from Rivendale. Saysiu had told him that the sword, named Sting, was of Elven make, lightweight and deadly. The blade would glow blue around the prescence of Orcs.  
  
Another thing which Saysiu had given to him was a sort of chainmail top, though it was unexpectedly light to hold and wear, yet it was apparently extremely tough material, hard to penetrate. The material was called Mithril, and was something from the Dwarf race - not that Shingo was going to approach Iori Yagami, let alone question him about Mithril. Shingo had actually wanted to ask his master more about the sword and top but Saysiu had excused himself from the room as soon as he had caught sight of Kyo wandering about the courtyard below their balcony. It was evident that both of them had a lot to talk about.  
  
After a while, the group of travellers stopped for a rest. The lands were becoming less grassy now and more rocky, nearing the mountains.  
  
Andy was training Chris and Bao in the art of sword combat whist K' watched them from where he sat on a large rock. Kensou was cooking up some food whilst Shingo sat next to him, also watching Chris, Bao and Andy.  
  
"We must hold this course, West of the Misty Mountains for forty days," Chizuru said as she continued planning their journey. "Then, if our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. And from there, our road will turn East to Mordor."  
  
"Well, if anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they are clearly not doing," Iori souded slightly indignant as he approached Chizuru. "I'd say we were wasting our time and taking the long way around," he stopped in front of her. "Chizuru. We could pass easily through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Miss X, would give us a royal welcome."  
  
Chizuru looked at Iori for a long time before saying quite bluntly "Iori, I would not take that road unless I had not other choice."  
  
Iori's eyes darkened at the sorceress' words, but any retort that was forming was halted as Kyo, who had been standing on the other side of the area and clearly trying to avoid all contact with Iori, moves silently past him and lept onto one of the large rocks, looking at the skies.  
  
Being an Elf, Kyo's senses were greatly enhanced and he had spotted something moving across the skies.  
  
"What is that?" Kensou followed Kyo's gaze as the dark patch in the sky approached their direction.  
  
"It's just a wisp of cloud," Iori waved his hand dismissively. "Probably some rain, that's all."  
  
By now, everybody else had stopped what they were doing and were observing the dark mass in the bright sky.  
  
"It's moving fast," Andy noted, his eyes narrowing. "Against the wind."  
  
"Crebain from Dunland and Fangorn!" Kyo suddenly shouted as his sharp eyes recognised the moving group to be a massive flock of huge black crows.  
  
"Hide!" K' was already moving to put out the small campfire and everybody else ran to grab various travel belongings as they dove for cover under outcrops of rock and also in clumps of bushes.  
  
The crebain flew in low, some of them just inches from the ground as they swept past the area where the group were hiding. The sound of flapping wings and cawing voices was almost unbearable and for the four Hobbits, it was taking everything they had not to panic and start running.  
  
As the flock flew away and over the hills, everybody slowly emerged from their shelters.  
  
"Spies of N.E.S.T.S." Chizuru frowned, dusting herself off. "The passage south is being watched," she looked over at the huge mountain off to the side of the path that they were originally to take. "We must take the Pass of Caradhras."  
  
"This was a mistake." Chris shivered as he walked in the ankle-deep snow that covered the ground as they walked along the path on the mountain of Caradhras. The other three Hobbits didn't say anything as they trudged along behind Andy.  
  
Suddenly, Shingo lost his footing in the snow and was sent tumbling backwards where K' caught hold of him, stopping him from rolling further down the steep slope of the mountain.  
  
"Are you alright, Shingo?" K' asked, helping the young Hobbit to stand.  
  
Shingo began to nod, but stopped when he felt for the ring, which had been put onto a chain for him to wear and keep safe. The Orochi Ring of Power was no longer there.  
  
Panic shot up Shingo's spine as his eyes began scanning the snowy path he had tumbled down, looking for the ring. To his credit and relief, he eventually spotted it, but before he could take a step, somebody else had picked it up.  
  
Andy Bogard held the Orochi Ring of Power by its silver chain, looking at it inquisitively, like a child looking inquisitively at some new object for the first time.  
  
"It is such a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt, over so small a thing," Andy continued to look at the gold ring. "Such a little thing."  
  
"Andy!" K's stern voice brought Andy out of his almost mesmerised state. "Give the Ring back to Shingo."  
  
As if he was still trying to figure out what had just happened, and slowly approached Shingo, holding out the chain with the gold ring dangling from it.  
  
"As you wish," Andy said as impassively as he could as Shingo snatched the chain from his hand. "I care not." Andy ruffled Shingo's hair - perhaps a little too hard - and then, walked back to join the rest of the group who had stopped ahead and were all watching them silently.  
  
K' watched Andy walk away, his hands still on Shingo's shoulders. Then, he glanced behind him, giving Kyo a silent nod of thanks as the Elf Princeling slotted the twin blades back into their sheathes on the back of his quiver strap.  
  
As they progressed along the Pass of Caradhras, the Fellowship found themselves in incresing amounts of snow. To add to that, a storm had blown in, becoming more intense with every passing minute.  
  
"This was definetely a mistake!" Chris shouted above the howling of the wind. The snow had become too deep for the Hobbits to walk through and were now being carried in twos by K' and Andy whilst Chizuru was trying to clear a way through at the front.  
  
"For once, I might be inclined to agree with a Hobbit." Iori grumbled as he led the pony carrying all their stuff through the snow. "There are better places we could have gone through than this," he glanced at the Elf Prince walking on top of the snow and his scowl deepend. "And trust the Elf to show off!"  
  
"What's that, Iori? Wishing you had Elven blood to stop you sinking into the snow?" Kyo grinned at Iori before drawing his attention away from the group and running to an outcropping on the mountain, cocking his head to one side as he looked out into the storm.  
  
"What is it?" Chizuru stopped shovelling a pathway through the waist- high snow and glanced up at Kyo.  
  
Kyo didn't answer straight away. He stood still for a few more seconds, his back to the group, before he finally turned around and replied "There is a fell voice on the air."  
  
No sooner had he said that did the entire group hear a loud cracking noise and as everybody looked up, they saw about a dozen rocks detach themselves from the snowy outcropping above them, coming down fast at the ledge in which Kyo was standing upon.  
  
Seeing the danger, Kyo leapt out of the way just as the first boulder obliterated the snowy ledge he had just vacated, keeping himself pressed against the wall of the mountain path, his eyes wide.  
  
"Are you alright?" Chizuru looked at him, concerned.  
  
"Yeah," Kyo nodded, letting out a sigh of relief so soft the others didn't notice. "I'll live."  
  
"Pity." Iori murmered to himself, trying not to smile at the thought of his rival getting crushed by giant rocks.  
  
"K9999 must be trying to bring down the mountain!" K' shouted from the back of the group. Everyone could hear the voice of the wizard clearer than before now and the spells he was reciting were affecting the conditions of the mountain. "Chizuru, we must turn back!"  
  
"No!" Chizuru insisted as she faced the direction of K9999's commanding voice and shouted a spell back, trying to protect the group.  
  
The chanting carried on for a few minutes before suddenly, a bright fork of lightning struck the top of the part of the mountain which the group were positioned under, sending an avalanche of snow on top of them and all of them disappeared from sight. K9999's voice could no longer be heard and a deadly silence was all that was left save for the howling of the stormy winds.  
  
Kyo was the first to reappear from under the great pile of snow, looking around for the others. Shingo and Kensou were the next to appear, coughing and shivering as they pulled Chris and Bao from the deep snow.  
  
"I'd say this was a great start to our journey." Iori announced sarcastically as he shook the snow out of his hair.  
  
"We have to get off the mountain," Andy looked at Chizuru as she and also reappeared. "We should make for the Gap of Rohan and take the West road to my city!"  
  
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" K' shouted above the storm.  
  
"Well, if we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it!" Iori insisted. "Let us go through the Mines of Moria!"  
  
Chizuru looked at the rest of the group. They were now presented with two different paths, each with their drawbacks. The route via the Gap of Rohan did indeed pass extremely close to Isengard. But on the other hand, there was a great evil located in the darkness of Khazad-dûm.  
  
"Let the Ring-bearer decide." Chizuru finally said.  
  
Shingo was surprised to say the least. He had been so used to everyone around him making decisions for the group, but now, the decision was totally up to him. He looked around at everyone, only to see that they were now all looking at him and waiting for him to speak. He only hoped that he would make the right choice. Especially since he had never heard of either of the two places, let alone seen them enough to make a judgement.  
  
"We will go through the Mines of Moria." 


	12. Let's get lost in Moria!

Chapter Ten  
  
Shingo Yabuki glanced around.  
  
Moria was a change to the bitter cold of the Caradhras mountain, but in some ways, it was also just as bad.  
  
Although they were on the outside of the Mines of Moria, they were surrounded by the high walls of Moria on one side, and a great shadowy lake on the other. He was already having second thoughts about his choice.  
  
"Maybe we should have taken the Gap of Rohan." Kyo glanced around at these new lands, unable to supress the dread that was welling up within him. He hated the Dwarves as an Elf, and he hated the Yagamis as a Kusanagi. And to end up in a place that was more or less the area belonging to both..  
  
"What's the matter, Kyo?" Iori gave a smug grin as he walked past. "Afraid of the dark?"  
  
Chizuru ignored the two for the moment as she approached part of the wall that was in between two great trees. That part of the wall was significantly smoother than the rest of the great walls around them and she examined it closely.  
  
"Ithildin," Chizuru spoke her findings to nobody in partucular. "It mirrors only starlight." she whispered a spell and the clouds in the sky to reveal a full moon. ".And moonlight."  
  
Suddenly, as if by magic, the smooth area of the wall was illuminated with a bright glow as the moonlight hit the special coatings on the wall, revealing a secret door, elaborately crafted and with Elvish writing at the top.  
  
"It reads, 'The Doors of Moria - Speak friend and enter'." Chizuru translated the letterings with ease.  
  
"What do you suppose that means?" Chris looked at the stone doors.  
  
"Well, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, you speak the password and the doors will open," Chizuru smiled and then spoke something loudly in Dwarfish.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Chizuru looked at the door before trying again.  
  
Still nothing.  
  
Ten minutes had passed and Chizuru was still trying to get the doors to open.  
  
Kyo was sitting idly in the branch of one of the trees on the side of the stone doors, whilst Iori sat at the base of it, sharpening the edge of his axe.  
  
"The mines are no place for a pony," K' had unloaded all the essentials from his horse's saddle as he had no intentions of taking the animal into the mines. "Even for one so brave as Bill."  
  
"Bye bye, Bill." Kensou stroked the pony's neck as he removed the saddle.  
  
"Go on, Bill. Go on," K' gently nudged the pony in the direction that they had come before turning to Kensou. "Don't worry, Kensou. Bill know's the way back to Rivendale."  
  
Meanwhile, Bao and Chris were growing restless and had now taken up the activity on seeing who could throw a stone furthest into the huge lake before them.  
  
"Do not disturb the water." K' suddenly grabbed hold of both of them, ceasing their activity, the seriousness in his eyes sending shivers down their spines. Andy was soon by his side, watching the water in the lake intently as the ripples subsided, and the two young Hobbits stepped hastily away from the edge of the lake.  
  
"Kagura-sama," Shingo stood next to Chizuru as stood thinking of what the password could possibly be. "What is written on the doors is a riddle." He was oblivious of the ripples in the lake becoming larger. Kensou, Bao, K' and Andy began to back away, whilst Kyo, sensing something, jumped from the tree and headed towards them, deliberately kicking up dirt from the ground into Iori's face, much to the red-head's annoyance.  
  
"It says 'Speak 'friend' and enter'," he looked at Chizuru. "What's the Elvish word for 'friend'?"  
  
Chizuru looked at Shingo, the realisation dawning on her face as she answered "Mellon."  
  
As she spoke those words, the two doors slowly opened before them, revealing the entrance into the dark mines within the walls.  
  
Chizuru and Shingo looked at each other, sharing a smile, before the sorceress called to the rest of the party "Come on. Let's go."  
  
The others followed, still looking warily at the rippling lake.  
  
"Soon, all of you will be enjoying the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves," Iori seemed quite cheerful as they walked into the darkness beyond the doors. "Roaring fires, malt beer, ripe meat off the bone!" he cast a wicked look in Kyo's direction and added softly "though I can't guarantee the safety of a Kusanagi Elf." Iori then continued speaking to the group as he proudly announced "This, my comrades, is the realm of my cousin Miss X!" he laughed. "And they call it a meer mine!"  
  
Chizuru picked an unlit torch from the walls, holding it out for Kyo to light with his Magatama flames, the fire transferring from his finger and onto the torch, lighting up the area for all to see.  
  
"This is no mine." Andy's mouth fell open in shock as he glanced around at the decayed and skeletal bodies of dead Dwarves. Cobwebs had already covered the majority of them, indicating that they were long dead. "It's a tomb."  
  
The realisation was quick to dawn upon the group and the four Hobbits lept back in fear at the sight of a corpse at their feet.  
  
"No." Iori looked around, taking in the scene with horror in his eyes. "No!"  
  
Kyo yanked an arrow from one of the bodies, quickly analyzing the design of the bolt before throwing the arrow back down and bringing his bow and arrow into hand. "Goblins."  
  
K' and Andy were quick to also draw their swords.  
  
"We make for the Gap of Rohan," Andy said as calmly as he could, his eyes darting around the dimly-lit room. "We should never have come here. Now let's get out of here. Everybody out!"  
  
Shingo suddenly let out a yell, and everyone turned around just in time to see two tentacles shoot from the lake, wrapping around Shingo's legs, dragging him towards the water. "Help!"  
  
"Shingo!" Kensou, Chris and Bao were there in a flash, Kensou and Chris trying to pull Shingo back, whilst Bao was hacking at the two great tentacles with his sword.  
  
The tentacles seemed to let go of Shingo, retreating back into the lake, giving the young Hobbits a few seconds to drag Shingo back a few more inches, before the waters of the lake suddenly exploded with more tentacles heading towards them.  
  
Chris, Kensou and Bao were all knocked away as Shingo was grabbed once more by whatever was in the lake, the limbs hauling him high above the lake and out of anybody else's reach as K', Andy and Kyo got to the scene.  
  
The three fighters were quick to act, Andy and K' using their swords to cut through the mass of thick limbs whilst Kyo targeted the tentacles that held Shingo with his arrows.  
  
As some of the tentacles of the creature were chopped or speared, more and more seemed to grab hold of Shingo, holding him upside down above the water where the rest of the creature's hideous form began to rise from beneath the surface of the lake. A gaping mouth with razor-sharp teeth appeared and Shingo screamed in terror as he found himself being lowered towards it.  
  
Just then, he felt himself being jerked through the air as K' cut through the thick tentacles that had a hold of him, sending him tumbling through the air, only to be caught by Andy in the water.  
  
"Into the mines!" Chizuru shouted to them from the stone doors of Moria as she pushed Bao, Kensou and Chris back into the corpse-filled room. At the moment, the huge creature was blocking the way that they had come from Caradhras and with it beginning to close in on them, the only safe place was back in the mines.  
  
"Kyo!" Andy waded through the waters with Shingo still held tightly in his arms. K' was close behind him, trying to fend off the creatures tentacles as it began moving after them, rapidly gaining distance between them.  
  
Kyo stood at the entrance to the mines, setting one of his arrows alight with his flames before scoring a direct hit into the creature's face, making it roar in pain, buying some time for Andy and K' to get out of the lake, before the creature resumed following them.  
  
"Into the cave!" K' grabbed hold of Kyo's arm and pulling him into the mine as the creature moved out of the lake and onto the rocky land, still determined to catch up with it's prey.  
  
The old stone foundations of the entrance to the mine began to crumble as the creature tried to force it's way through the smaller doorway, still in hot pursuit of K', Kyo, Andy and Shingo.  
  
"Move!" K' shouted to the others as the ceiling above the entrace began to cave in, sending large and heavy boulders and rocks crashing down to the floor, sending up a cloud of dirt and dust which snuffed the flame from Chizuru's torch, plunging the room into darkness as the last rocks fell.  
  
For a moment, all that could be heard was the sound of falling pebbles and the panting of some members of the group. Then, Chizuru's voice broke the near silence.  
  
"Someone give me a flame," the sorceress said and was replied by a flame from K's hand, which she used to relight her torch, casting a dim lighting in the room again. "It seems, we now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria," she headed to the stairs, passing the other members of the Fellowship. " Be on your guard. It is a four-day journey to the other side. And there are older and foulder things than Orcs in the deep places of the world."  
  
"I think she's hinting at you." Kyo whispered in Iori's ear as he walked past the red-head.  
  
"It would do you good to keep your cocky attitude in check, Elf," Iori growed as he walked up the stairs behind Kyo. "Because at the moment, I am quite tempted to see just how far I can shove your precious bow up your-"  
  
"Will you two please stop your bickering for a moment!" Chizuru hissed at the two rivals before, reaching the top of the giant stairs, she stopped in her tracks, glancing at the three different paths in front of them.  
  
"What's the matter, Kagura-sama?" Shingo asked quietly as he stood beside her.  
  
Chizuru looked at each of the different pathways ahead of them, each of them appearing almost identical. "I have no memory of this place." 


	13. Drums in the Dark

Chapter Eleven  
  
"Are we lost?" Bao whispered to Chris as the Fellowship sat quietly, waiting for Chizuru to guide them on. Iori had already made the point that he too had no idea where to go next since he had very seldomly been into the Mines of Moria.  
  
"No." Chris whispered in reply.  
  
Bao looked at him from where they sat against some rocks. "I think we are."  
  
"Kagura-sama is thinking."  
  
A pause.  
  
"Chris?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I'm hungry."  
  
Shingo Yabuki sat on the opposite side of them, shaking his head with a smile as he listen to his two friends. He cast a glance at the way they had come so far, which wasn't very far at all, when a movement caught his eye. He turned around properly to get a better view at the strange figure approaching them, before he ran towards Chizuru, sitting and thinking silently on a rock as she faced the three pathways.  
  
"Kagura-sama. There's something down there." Shingo tilted his back towards the long flight of stairs.  
  
Chizuru didn't shift her gaze, her face still deep in thought as she replied distantly "It's Choi Bounge."  
  
"Choi?" Shingo frowned. Hadn't Chizuru recently told him that Choi Bounge had been captured by N.E.S.T.S.?  
  
"He's been following us for three days."  
  
"He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dûr?"  
  
This time, Chizuru seemed to break out of her meditative-like state as she turned and looked at him, her voice still low. "Escaped? Or was set loose?" she gestured in the direction that Shingo had been motioning to. "Choi hates and loves the Ring, as he hates and loves himself. He will never be rid of his need for it."  
  
"Should I alert the others?" Shingo asked, feeling uncomfortable with the fact that Choi was trailing them.  
  
Chizuru shook her head. "No. My heart is telling me that Choi still has some part to play in all of this before it is all over. But for good or ill, I cannot tell."  
  
Shingo was suddenly filled with a great weariness and he sat hevily on the rock next to Chizuru, sighing deeply. "I wish the Ring had never come to me," he looked at the ground. "I wish none of this had ever happened."  
  
Chizuru placed her hand on his shoulder, comforting him. "So do all who live to see such times, young Shingo. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us," she glanced over in Kyo's direction as he sat clutching his bow tight against his chest whilst looking cautiously at a malevolently-grinning Iori. "Even the immortal Elves die one day," she squeezed his shoulder reassuingly. "Shingo. There are other forces in this world besides the will of evil. Saysiu was meant to obtain the Ring. And, in which case, you were also meant to have it," she quirked a smile. "And that is an encouraging thought."  
  
To credit Chizuru, Shingo managed a faint smile.  
  
"Ah," Chizuru seemed happier now as she looked at one of the stair pathways that lead down into the darkness. "It's that way!"  
  
At the sound of her quietly cheerful voice, everyone else turned to look at her.  
  
"You've remembered!" Bao said with a broard grin.  
  
"Not really," Chizuru smiled back as she began to lead the group down the stairs. "But the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, always follow your nose."  
  
Four days had nearly passed and Chizuru reached the bottom of another set of stairs, peering cautiously out into the vast room before her, a smile creeping onto her face. It was still too dark to see everything, but she could tell immediately where they were.  
  
She glanced at K', Iori and Kyo. "Let us risk a little more light."  
  
The three obeyed without question, lighting their flames in their hands, illuminating the majority of the massive area, revealing countless numbers of rows of elaborately carved pillars of stone that rose hundreds of metres into the high ceiling, that left every member of the Fellowship feeling as if they were three inches tall.  
  
"Behold!" Chizuru announced holding her arms up around her at the exquisite view. "The great realm and Dwarf-city of Dwarrowdelf!"  
  
"There's an eye-opener and that's no mistake." Chris breathed, whilst Kensou leant so far back to look up at the pillars that he nearly fell over had K' not caught him.  
  
Iori glanced around at the superb structures, feeling a warmth fill his heart. This was land that belonged to his cousin, Miss X.  
  
Kyo, gazed up at the works of art in wonder, especially for an Elf who, before this, cared not for the Dwarves.  
  
Andy's mouth fell open at the sight of the seemingly endless rows of carved pillars, and as he walked past him, Iori pushed Andy's mouth shut with an amused grunt. However, the look of entertainment quickly left the red-head's face as he spied something in the room off to his right, the purple flame in his hand going out as he raced into the corpse-littered room.  
  
"Iori!" Chizuru and the others ran after him, finding him kneeling with his head bowed in despair at the foot of a large tomb, lit by a single column of daylight from a hole in the high ceiling.  
  
Chizuru examined the Dwarfish writing on the top of the smooth stone sarcophagus, her hands lightly brushing away some of the dust that had collected there. "'Here lies Miss X, Queen of Moria'," Chizuru lowered her head in sadness. "She has been dead for some time. It's as I feared. I'm sorry Iori."  
  
Iori continued to kneel at the coffin, keeping his head low, a sick feeling forming in the pit of his stomach as Chizuru's words hit him. His cousin had been dead for what could have been up to a year, and he might never have known had he not decided to join the Fellowship. He semi- consciously felt Andy place a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, but made no move or said no word, his mind still reeling from the cold, hard evidence before him.  
  
Chizuru looked down at the skeleton of a Dwarf slumped against the coffin, holding a thick diary in it's hand. Carefuly, she shifted the shrivelled arm from the diary, picking the heavy book up in her hands, brushing away the dust before carefully opening the diary.  
  
"We must move on," Kyo whispered to K'. "We cannot linger."  
  
K' made didn't answer. Nor did he make a move as he and the others looked at Chizuru.  
  
Old and tattered pages fell from the book but Chizuru ignored them as she flipped to the very last written pages, the last sentence of it had been hastily jotted down, old blood splattered on the crumbling paper. She began to read the account aloud.  
  
"'They have taken the bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. Drums. Drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out. They are coming.'"  
  
Whilst Chizuru had been reading the diary, Bao had gotten closer and closer to a skeletal figure sitting on the edge of the shaft nearby, covered in cobwebs with an arrow through it's abdomen. Curious at how Kyo had managed to identify different arrows, as he had done earlier when they had first entered the mines, Bao reached a hand out to pull at the arrow stuck into the corpse, still vaguely listening to Chizuru. As soon as she had finished, he tugged lightly at the blunt end of the arrow, but it didn't seem to budge. Instead, the decayed helmeted skull suddenly detached itself, falling backwards and down the shaft with a series of noises that startled the entire group.  
  
Startled as well, Bao hastily jumped away from the decapitated body, which had suddenly decided to fall after the head, the armour making sonorous clangs as it tumbled down the shaft, Bao wincing with every noise it made.  
  
There was silence as everyone let their heart rates resume normal paces, Andy letting out a small "phew".  
  
"Fool!" Chizuru growled at Bao angrily. "Next time throw yourself in and rid us all of your stupidity!"  
  
Bao looked guiltily at the ground, frowning as he heard a soft thumping noise. He looked at the rest of the group, wondering if it was just him hearing things. Sure enough, everybody else had heard it, the sound growing steadily louder.  
  
Shingo drew his sword out of impulse, his eyes widening in horror as he and his friends found the blade was glowing blue.  
  
"Orcs!" Kyo warned as the noise grew much louder and hellish screams could be heard approaching. In an instant, everyone had drawn their weapons, including the Hobbits and Chizuru, who drew her sword from her belt, ready to fight.  
  
Andy ran for the open double doors immediately, sword in his hand as he peered out to see where the Orcs were coming from. A noise caught his attention and he ducked back just in time to avoid two Orc arrows that embedded themselves into the door where Andy's head had just been.  
  
"Get back!" K' pushed the four armed Hobbits away from the doors as he rushed to help Andy close the heavy double doors. "Stay close to Chizuru!"  
  
A blood-curdling roar made the two men work faster to close the heavy doors. "Oh great," Andy said sarcastically as he looked at K'. "They have a Cave Troll."  
  
The two fighters pulled the plank across them to bolt the door. They knew it wasn't going to hold for long against the might of the swarm of Orcs. Let alone the Cave Troll.  
  
Kyo tossed Andy some old Dwarvish axes to help hold the door with and Andy jammed the weapons into the same groove as the wooden plank.  
  
Iori growled in anger as the doors shook with the force of the Orcs trying to get into the room. "Let them come!" he shouted, axe in his hands. "There's still one of Dwarven blood left in Moria who still draws breath!"  
  
Orc axes began to hack at the door, the wood beginning to splinter as small holes were being formed.  
  
K' and Kyo stood poised with their bows and arrows, waiting for the right moment to strike.  
  
As soon as one hole appeared in the door, Kyo released an arrow, drawing another even as the Orc on the other side of the door screamed in pain. A second shriek was the evidence that K' was also using the same technique as the Elven Prince.  
  
Suddenly, the two wooden doors were knocked down by a tide of blood- thirsty Orcs, all armed and with one intention: To kill every member of the tresspassing Fellowship.  
  
K' and Kyo were still firing arrows as the Orcs swarmed into the room, taking down the Orcs in the front line with deadly precision. Andy, Shingo, Bao, Chris, Kensou and Chizuru had all drawn their swords, charging into the fray, their weapons slicing through the Orcs with force.  
  
With a roar of "Shi-ne!", Iori Yagami powered up his purple flames, unleashing them at the crowd of Orcs, severly burning them as they approaced him.  
  
Soon, the ground began to shake with the sound of great footfalls and everyone looked up just in time to see a massive Cave Troll being led into the vast room, the orcs forcing it along using the thick chain attached to the metal collar around it's thick neck. With a trmendous roar of fury, it was unleashed in the room where it attacked everything within its sights with it's huge club.  
  
"Get out of the way!" Andy pulled Kensou backwards and out of the way of the Cave Troll bringing it's club down where the Hobbit had been standing. Andy spang up and at the great creature, attempting to use his Zan Ei Ken move on it, but it was faster, smacking him out of the way and into a pillar as Orcs swarmed to attack him.  
  
The Cave Troll swung its grotesque form to see Iori Yagami standing on the other side of the room, the burnt bodies of Orcs at his feet. With a growl, the Troll raised it's club and thundered towards the unflinching Iori, who stood ready and grinning in anticipation of a bigger fight, his purple flames flaring in his bare hands.  
  
However, before the Cave Troll could even cover half the distance between itself and Iori, two sharp arrows cut through the air, embedding themselves in the Cave Troll's muscular chest. The Cave Troll gave a grunt of pain and swung its chain in the direction of its new target on a nearby ledge, leaving a frustrated and disappointed Iori to deal with more Orcs on the ground, scowling at his snatched opportunity to kill the Cave Troll.  
  
Kyo ducked and felt the rush of air as the Cave Troll's large chain sliced over him where his head had just been, taking out the orc that had been ready to attack from behind him instead. Running to one side of the ledge, he had to jump back to avoid another deadly chain lash as the Cave Troll approached. He barely moved out of the way as the long chain just missed him, wrapping around a support pillar on the ledge.  
  
Moving fast, Kyo dashed up the trapped chain before the Troll could have a chance to free it, landing on the Troll's broard shoulders where he released an arrow into the creature's head, frowning as the arrow bounced off it's thick skull. He unsheathed one of his Elven daggers and was ready for a second shot at the Cave Troll when the creature finally managed to break it's whip-like chain free, knocking him off balance.  
  
Somersaulting in mid-air, Kyo landed like a cat on the ground, his flames engulfing him, ready to continue the fight with the Cave Troll, when a crumbling sound snapped his attention to behind him.  
  
The support pillar upon which the Cave Troll had caught it's chain around had been severed when the weapon was freed and great chunks of maisonary came crashing down. Trying to dive out of the way, Kyo found himself pinned to the ground by the falling rubble, his bow and dagger falling out of his grasp and the other Elven dagger now unreachable under the debris that covered most of him. An angry snort made him look up to see the irate Cave Troll towering over him, raising it's club for a killing blow.  
  
Whoops. I've spotted the mistake I made earlier - yes indeedy, Terry is the older brother. My bad, gomen.  
  
Please keep reviewing - It's the only way I know that you guys want more. 


	14. Kinda like fighting an ugly Chang

Chapter Twelve  
  
Being of the immortal kind, Kyo Kusanagi knew that the Elf blood in him wouldn't allow him to age. But die? That was another thing altogether.  
  
The young Elf Prince shut his eyes tightly, bracing himself for the sharp strike of pain that would end it all when suddenly a familiar aura and voice rang out.  
  
"Nobody can kill Kyo Kusanagi but I!!"  
  
Iori Yagami launched himself at the Cave Troll, releasing a pillar of his purple tainted flames at the creature, forcing it to back off before he slammed it with a powerful kick, sending it stumbling backwards. He unhooked his axe and swung it at the Cave Troll, the sharp blade slicing into the meaty flesh. The Cave Troll gave a roar and lashed out at Iori with a massive hand, knocking him sideways before spotting what it thought was easier prey elsewhere in the room and heading off in that direction.  
  
Shaking his head as if to clear it, Iori jumped to his feet, letting out another frustrated growl as the Cave Troll moved off again. The Orcs had seen the purple flames that he was in possession of and had, for the moment, decided to back off from the red-head, leaving him in the clear for a while as he moved towards the trapped Kyo.  
  
"Bakame," Iori muttered as he looked disdainfully at the Kusanagi Elf. "This is what you get for stealing a good chance for me to get rid of that thing," he smirked. "I could kill you right now, but it wouldn't be a fair fight."  
  
"Yeah, well when this is over, we'll see who will be the one to emerge victorious," Kyo growled at Iori. "But at the moment, I'm still pretty much stuck under here."  
  
"You're pathetic, you know that?" Iori snorted as he began shifting some of the maisonary from on top of his rival.  
  
"Shut up, Yagami." Kyo glowered darkly.  
  
Shingo and Chris could feel the thundering footsteps of the Cave Troll shake the ground as the beast approached, it's beady eyes set on them.  
  
"Run!" Chris grabbed Shingo's wrist and they both made a break for it, trying to find other members of their Fellowship amongst the carnage.  
  
Shingo's wide eyes darted across the room, looking for K', Chizuru or Kyo, even as he felt a rush of air behind him as K' blocked the Cave Troll's path after them, armed with a spear.  
  
"Back off, ugly!" K' snarled at the towering Cave Troll before he charged at it with the weapon, skewering it in the chest before leaping up to perform his Crow Bite move on it, sending it stumbling a few steps backwards. "Sharaaaa!"  
  
The Cave Troll managed to regain it's balance fairly rapidly, striking out at K' and sending him slamming into a wall, leaving him dazed for a few moments.  
  
"K'-san!" Shingo charged towards the Cave Troll, smashing into it with his Burning Shingo technique, inwardly telling that the creature wasn't half as bad as fighting Chang.  
  
However, that line of thought was until he was halfway through his Shingo Kick when he felt the point of the spear, which was now in the posession of the Cave Troll, dig into his flesh. He let out a choked cry and crashed back to the ground, unmoving.  
  
"SHINGOOOO~!!"  
  
Kensou, Bao and Chris had all screamed their friend's name in unison as they saw the Cave Troll pierce Shingo with the spear K' had dropped.  
  
"Nooo!" Kensou rushed at the huge creature, Chris and Bao not too far behind, all of them sharing the intention of seeking revenge on the murderous beast.  
  
The Cave Troll, however, was not discouraged by the sudden offensive nature of the three young hobbits, and a single swipe of one arm had already sent Chris and Kensou flying backwards, only to be caught deftly by Andy and Chizuru, leaving Bao with second thoughts about going up against such a powerful and large opponent as he stood there trembling for a moment.  
  
The huge creature towered over Bao and gave a thunderous roar, ready to pummel Bao with one massive fist when the young hobbit was suddenly pulled out of the way by K' as an immense heat started to fill the room. Once a safe distance away, Bao traced the source of the heat to be coming from Kyo as the Elven Prince powered up for a maximum power Orochinagi, unleashing a massive wall of flames at the Cave Troll. The creature gave a roar of pain, staggering backwards where it turned around and was met with another adversary, one who offered it no other thought as he ploughed into it, tearing into its flesh.  
  
".Soshite. SHINE!" Iori's maximum power Maiden Masher sent the Cave Troll into the air, where it's heavily damaged body hung for a moment, before plummeting back to the ground with a loud thud that shook the entire room.  
  
There was a moment of silence in the room and everyone stared at the body of the fallen creature, watching to see if it would get up after somehow surviving two well-timed SDMs from both Iori and Kyo. Much to their relief, it's body did not move. Their victory, however, was a short- lived one as K' quickly moved to scoop up Shingo's fallen form.  
  
"Shingo?" K' gave the hobbit's body a little shake. "Shingo, can you hear me?"  
  
Behind him, Kensou stood a little in front of the rest of the Fellowship, his eyes downcast. After all they had been through so far, and with their journey to Mordor barely just begun, tragedy had already struck.  
  
Just then, the sound of Shingo suddenly coughing snapped everyone's attention to the brown-haired hobbit, and Kensou quickly rushed to his friend's side.  
  
"Shingo!" Kensou exclaimed. "Are you okay? I thought you were dead!"  
  
Shingo coughed a little more, his hand instinctively going to the ragged hole torn in his shirt from where the spear had struck him before he looked up with a brave smile. "I'm alright. I'm not hurt. Just a little bruised, I guess."  
  
"That was a nasty blow you took," K' seemed a little surprised. "That spear was sharp enough to skewer a wild boar."  
  
Suddenly, Chizuru seemed to chuckle a little, realizing something which the others had not yet seen. "I think," she began, smiling. "That there's more to our Ring-bearer than what meets the eye."  
  
At that point, Shingo opened up his shirt a little to show off the elegant, lightweight chainmail-like top that he had been wearing beneath his clothes. This made Iori's red eyes widen in realization. "That's a Mithril shirt!" the red-head laughed, slapping a rough hand on Shingo's shoulder, nearly sending him sprawling forwards. "It seems you are full of suprises, Shingo Yabuki. I'm impressed."  
  
"Much as I hate to say, guys.. It's not over yet." Andy groaned at the sound of a second wave of approaching Orcs taking the smiles off everyones faces.  
  
All eyes went to Chizuru for guidance.  
  
"We make for the Bridge of Khazad-dûm at once." She said, her face deadpan.  
  
Sorry for the long delay in getting more of this fic done - I had loads of work to do at Uni. Many thanks to all that have reviewed! 


	15. Noooooo!

Chapter Thirteen  
  
Chris now reckoned that he had never sprinted so fast in his life.  
  
Sure, he had run pretty fast to escape being caught stealing food with Bao, but this time, his chasing enemy was a horde of many, many violent and blood-thirsty Orcs, their shrill shrieks and calls sending shivers down his spine. He also reckoned that he, Bao, Shingo and Kensou were also doing pretty well in keeping up with the rest of the group despite their smaller size and shorter legs.  
  
Stealing a quick glance around him, Chris realized that there were a few hundred Orcs chasing after them as the Fellowship followed Chizuru towards the bridge, and that they were also coming at the group of assorted travellers from every direction. The others had realized it too, but they were still hanging on a hope of reaching the small doorway ahead before they could be cut off by the irate Orcs.  
  
However, it seemed that luck was not on their side as they were gradually surrounded by the snarling, foul-smelling creatures, who were now circling them with hungry looks in their slit-like eyes.  
  
Surrounded, each member of the Fellowship drew their weapons, ready to fight to the last, forming a tight circle with their backs to each other, providing no easy access to any of themselves.  
  
There was a moment where both parties just stared at each other, the Orcs preparing to go in for the kill, and the members of the Fellowship preparing not to go down without a good fight. Then, there came a sort of deep growl which effectively silenced each and every Orc, making them look around in what appeared to be fear. Another deep growl, louder this time, caused the Orcs to flee in a panic, scampering away like mice away from a hungry cat.  
  
The group of fighters watched the creatures retreat, a look of confusion also upon each of their faces.  
  
"Well.." Kensou breathed a little sigh of relief at the departure of the Orcs. "That was certainly interesting.."  
  
"Though what could have made them all run like that?" mused K', before Andy tapped his shoulder and pointed in the direction that Chizuru was looking in. Iori was already making notions for the group to get moving again and Kyo had an arrow aimed in the direction of whatever was approaching. Iori smiled in amusement when he realised that whatever had scared the Orcs was also starting to get at the Elf, who was visibly shaking. The Dwarf representative couldn't resist the temptation of sneaking up behind him. "Boo!"  
  
"Ah!" Kyo let out a squeal, jumping and almost dropping his bow and arrow. He spun to face a snickering Iori and was about to hit him with a flaming punch when K' grabbed his arm. "Now is not the time for such games."  
  
To the side of them, Andy approached Chizuru, his eyes never leaving the glowing amber light that was beginning to illuminate the great, darkened hall from the far side. "Chizuru.. What is it?"  
  
Chizuru took her time to think. She was vaguely aware of what it was but closed her eyes and stretched out with her senses a little to try and get a better picture of what was approaching. After a few seconds, her eyes snapped open and she turned to the rest of the group. "It's a Balrog." She announced.  
  
"Balrog?" repeated Iori, smirking a little. "That guy's not so tough to beat."  
  
"Not Balrog from the Street Fighters, you idiot!" this time Kyo took the opportunity to backhand Iori in the face. "A Balrog! They're different!" he paused before adding "Though if you stick around here long enough, you'll get first-hand experience in the difference."  
  
"Would the two of you just quit it?!" Chizuru snapped. "A demon of the ancient world is approaching. One beyond any of your skills," she turned, already hurredly heading for the doorway ahead. "We must flee."  
  
The nine of them were running again, not looking back, half afraid to see what was after them now. From Chizuru's description, the Balrog did not sound like a pushover.  
  
After what felt like running down endless flights of stairs which were suspended over what seemed like a firey, almost bottomless chasm, the nine members of the Fellowship were back on sturdy ground. To the left of them was the Bridge of Khazad-dûm, whilst to the right of them rose something which all of them had dreaded to see.  
  
"Run!" K' shouted, taking the lead as Chizuru silently commanded him to, tearing off to the left and towards the bridge, leaving Chizuru to bring up the rear. She glanced behind her at the monstrosity which emerged from behind them before breaking into a run herself.  
  
The Balrog was a huge creature, one which would have made the Cave Troll look like a Hobbit. It stood tall on two hoofed feet, great black wings emerging from its back as it reared its horned head and let out a bellow, fire errupting all over it's body. It appeared to frown at the sight of the fleeing Fellowship and did not hesitate to give chase, every step it took causing the ground to tremble.  
  
The bridge of Khazad-dûm didn't really live up to it's name, Andy thought as he ran across it. To him, it was basically a narrow strip of rock that stretched the distance over a seemingly bottomless black abyss, although he could always put it down to the fact that he was in such a hurry to get across the bridge and away from their flaming enemy, that he simply did not have enough time to appreciate it. He stopped on the other side, standing next to K' as he watched Shingo, Kensou, Chris and Bao make it across. Behind them were Iori, Kyo and Chizuru.  
  
Three quarters of the way across the bridge, Iori suddenly stopped and turned around, making Kyo halt in his tracks. "A thought's just ocured to me upon seeing this new beast, Kyo," Iori smiled. "I think maybe you could reason with it."  
  
"Me?!" Kyo exclaimed. "What are you nuts?!"  
  
"It bears an uncanny resemblence to you when you power up for your Orochinagi." Iori continued to smirk.  
  
"Oh shut up and keep moving!" Kyo let out a growl of frustration and hit Iori over the head, noting in the back of his mind that he should have payed more attention to his older step-brothers on the art of insults and swearing in his Elvish tongue as he cursed at the red-head. "Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!"  
  
The two rivals reached safety and turned around just in time to see Chizuru stop on the bridge in front of the blazing Balrog.  
  
"You cannot pass!" she shouted at it, her gaze piercing.  
  
The monster seemed to stop in its tracks, gazing down at her cautiously albeit threateningly whilst the others looked on.  
  
"Kagura-sama!" Shingo called, his eyes widening. What was she doing? The Balrog would surely kill her!  
  
Chizuru kept her gaze on the creature towering before her, not even acknowledging Shingo's surprised and shocked call. In front of her, the Balrog gave another roar, standing straight and flexing its powerful body as more fire errupted from it, spreading its demon-like wings as though it would take to the air at any moment. Still, she did not flinch. Instead, she drew her sword and assumed a fighting stance.  
  
"Do you think, foul beast, that you can intimidate me?" her eyes seemed to darken at her opponent as it took out a flaming, white-hot sword "A Sorceress like me is not to be underestimated. I will not allow you to pass by here."  
  
The Balrog brought it's great sword down just as Chizuru blocked it, a bright flash of light sparking as the two blades connected, and to the rest of the Fellowship, it seemed like Chizuru would lose.  
  
However, as the light faded, they were all shocked to see that she was still standing strong, as if no blow had even been made.  
  
This time, the Balrog took one step forwards and onto the bridge, still challenging Chizuru.  
  
"I warn you, demon, to retreat to the shadows," she said, the blade of her sword glowing before she suddenly brought the blade down and onto the stone bridge she stood on. "You shall not pass!!"  
  
Sparks flew upon the connection and a loud crack echoed through the void, making the Balrog back up slightly and causing the rest of the fighters to jump in fright at the sudden noise.  
  
Chizuru still stood there, her gaze and stance unyielding.  
  
With an angry snort, the Balrog took another step forwards and onto the bridge. It's weight was all it took to finish off the job Chizuru had started with her sword. With a mighty crack, the bridge gave way mere inches in fronto of where Chizuru stood, sending the firey beast plummeting into the black chasm.  
  
There was awe and respect on each of the other fighters' faces as Chizuru turned around from her handywork to make her way back to them.  
  
Their happiness, however, was brief as Chizuru was knocked off her feet and pulled off the bridge by one firey hand.  
  
"Kagura-sama!" Shingo cried, running to help her, only to be pulled back by Andy.  
  
"Shingo, no!" Andy shouted, pulling the Hobbit back. "It's too dangerous!"  
  
Chizuru had managed to grab onto the edge of the broken bridge, and for a moment, her gaze locked with that of the others.  
  
"Get out of here!" she shouted at them.  
  
And then she was gone. Without another sound, she had fallen into the same dark void which had claimed the Balrog.  
  
There was a sudden silence that seemed an eternity long before it was shattered by Shingo's piercing scream.  
  
"Kagura-Sama~!!"  
  
Hopefully more to come soon, people! Keep reviewing! (^_^)  
  
Thanks! 


	16. Where do we go now?

Chapter Fourteen  
  
The woods of Lothlórien were a contrast to the Mines of Moria as the remaining eight members of the Fellowship walked through it.  
  
After mourning the loss of Chizuru Kagura, K' was the one who decided that the group needed to move on, and to be rid of the area of Moria before nightfall settled in and the Orcs emerged from the darkness from within the mines. Their next area of travel, K' had told the others, was the woodland area of Lothlórien, where perhaps the group of travellers could rest for the night.  
  
The atmosphere of the group had been a lot more solemn as they moved. Even the almost constant bickering between Iori and Kyo had ceased to silence for a long time. K' inwardly made a mental note to himself to keep an eye on each of the other members of the Fellowship, making sure that the grief would not get too much for them. However, as time progressed, K' realised that his comrades were all starting to relax up again.  
  
After a while of walking, it seemed that dusk was beginning to settle, leaving them all with the feeling that they should soon begin considering finding a place to rest for the night.  
  
K' looked over his shoulder at the rest of the group. Kyo seemed a lot more at ease in the woods now than in the mines as he walked behind the ranger, even cocking a friendly smile to say he was alright when he noticed K' was looking at him. Behind him were the four Hobbits, sticking close together as they glanced cautiously around themselves. Shingo, Kensou and Chris were evidently tired, whilst Bao was staring about like he had never seen woodlands before. Behind them walked Iori, trying to stop the tired Hobbits from straying from the group and occasionally glancing at Andy Bogard, who was walking alongside him, occasionally also keeping an eye on the four Hobbits.  
  
"You had better stay close, you four," Andy warned Kensou, Shingo, Chris and Bao. "Roumer has it that a Sorceress lives in these woodlands we tread in now. An Elf-Witch of some sort. One of a power so great that all whom look upon her will fall under her spell, and are never heard of again."  
  
"Elf-Witch, huh?" Iori rasied an eyebrow, musing out loud. "Wonder if she could turn Kyo into a rat."  
  
Andy looked in Kyo's direction, expecting another fight to break out. Much to his surprise, Kyo didn't retaliate at all. In fact, he appeared not to have even heard the comment, continuing his pace across the woods with no glance over his shoulder at the Dwarven representative. It was only about ten minutes later, when Iori had just about forgotten his comment, that Andy noticed Kyo stop ahead of them to pick something up in his hand, examining it as he started to walk off again. Andy suspected something was about to happen and he wasn't far off as another few minutes later, Kyo had appeared to have lost interest in whatever he had picked up - which turned out to be a small rock - and tossed it casually nonchalantly over his shoulder, though with enough hidden precision and force for it to sail over the four Hobbits behind him and hit Iori in the head with a dull thunk.  
  
Iori's yelp of pain got everyone's attention and K' turned around with a weary sigh, knowing that the peace between such great rivals - one being a Yagami and of the Dwarven race, the other a Kusanagi and an Elf - was just too good to last.  
  
Iori rubbed his head, glaring daggers at the Elven Prince, who was trying to look innocent and trying to refrain from laughing at the same time. "Why you no-good, pointy-eared.!" he made a lunge for Kyo, who at the same time lept into the safety of the trees, moving along the branches with the gracefullness of the Wood-Elf that he was. Even K' couldn't help but smile at the youngest Prince of Mirkwood's tactic.  
  
Whilst all this was going on, something seemed to be distracting Shingo, and he glanced around with a feeling that he was being watched. However, there seemed to be no others in the woods apart from the eight of them. Everything else was quiet.  
  
Shingo.  
  
He cast another quick look around. He could have sworn someone or something other than his travelling companions had spoken.  
  
Your coming to us is as the footsteps of doom.  
  
You bring great evil here, Ring-bearer.  
  
"Shingo.?"  
  
The sound of a familiar voice behind him, along with a gentle shake on his shoulder, snapped Shingo out of his trance-like state. He turned to see a concerned Kensou standing there.  
  
"Shingo, are you okay?" Kensou asked again, his dark brown eyes analysing his comrade.  
  
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine, Kensou." Shingo nodded confidently as he started to walk off again, leaving Kensou with a slightly confused look upon his face before he too followed after Shingo.  
  
"Baka me!" Iori cursed, looking up into the treetops, his eyes appearing even redder in his growing anger. "Get your ass back down here and fight me like a man. er, I mean an Elf!"  
  
The sound of Kyo's laughter maddened Iori even more until he heard a startled cry from the branches above, shortly followed by the Elf Princeling falling to the ground and landing on his backside with a yelp and a thud.  
  
This time, it was Iori's turn to burst into laughter, though he was soon to be cut off when he saw a bow and arrow abruptly aimed straight at his face.  
  
Glancing around at his companions, he saw that they too had fallen prey to this silent and sudden ambush.  
  
Iori looked back at his adversaries, taking in every detail of them. His eyes narrowed as he took in their clothes and weaponry, their long, well-groomed hair, and their pointy-tipped ears. Great. Amushed by a group of Elves. This really wasn't his day.  
  
Another Elf dropped from the tree which Kyo had earlier fallen from, landing gracefully on the ground. He stood up and at the group with a faint smile, flicking his long blonde hair over his shoulder, causing Iori to frown. His frown deepend even more when the newcomer spoke.  
  
"Did you know that your Dwaf-blooded man trudges around so clumsily and so loud through these woods that even my poorest of marksmen could have shot him blindfolded?" the Elf laughed, and Iori scowled at him, though some part of his mind was telling him he'd faced this stranger before.  
  
"And did you know that I could cleave you into two with my axe before you spoke another word?" Iori growled.  
  
The blonde Elf laughed again. "My dear friend, Iori Yagami, you have not changed since we last crossed paths. Although it was such a while ago."  
  
"If I were you, I'd take those words back, Benimaru Nikaido." Iori's red eyes gleamed darkly.  
  
"Ah, so you recognise me then, Yagami?" the blonde Elf - Benimaru - smiled widely at this.  
  
"But of course," Iori said narrowing his eyes. "How could I forget a stuck-up rat such as yourself?"  
  
It was at this point that K' decided to put a stop to things before they got out of hand as he stepped between the two, his hands up to notion for peace between the two, his back to Iori so that he could address Benimaru. He was still aware that the other Elves still saw the group most probably as a threat. He would have to tell the blonde Elf that they meant no harm if they intruded on the Elves territory.  
  
"Benimaru o Lórien," K' addressed Benimaru in the Elvish tongue in which he had learnt whilst he was staying in Rivendale with Kula and Lady Candy. "Boe ammen veraid lîn."  
  
"What's he saying?" Andy whispered to Kyo.  
  
"He's telling Benimaru that we need their protection," Kyo replied, looking at Andy. "And in woodlands like these, it's probably for the best."  
  
"Then perhaps we should go back and try another route?" Iori suggested, still very much cautious about this new group of Elves that they had come across. Or rather whom had come across the Fellowship.  
  
"My very un-Dwarf-looking Dwarvish friend," Benimaru said with a slight chuckle as he glanced at Iori. "You have all entered the realm of the Lady of the Lothlórien Woods. There is no turning back."  
  
That reply didn't sit nicely with Iori, but a silent glare from K' refrained him from making further comments as Benimaru turned his gaze to Shingo. "She's been expecting you, Ring-bearer."  
  
Shingo's eyes widened slightly at Benimaru's words. She? Who was she? Was she the voice which he had heard earlier on whilst they were travelling through the woods just moments before?  
  
He continued to wonder on this even as he was vaguely aware of the other Elves lowering their weapons and Benimaru beginning to lead the group of all of them off deeper into the woodlands. Snapping himself out of his thoughts, Shingo started to move off with the group, running a little to catch up with Kyo.  
  
"Kusanagi-san?" he looked up at the dark-haired Elf who looked back at him.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Have you ever met the Lady of the Lothlórien Woods?"  
  
Kyo shook his head in reply.  
  
There was a pause before Shingo tapped Kyo's arm. "Kusanagi-san?"  
  
"Yes, Shingo?"  
  
"You don't seem very surprised to know that Nikaido-san was an Elf living here in these woods."  
  
"You didn't ask," Kyo replied with a faint smile. "Though, I'll let you in on it that he's older than any of us in the Fellowship here."  
  
"Really?" Shingo looked at Benimaru in awe. He still looked like he was in his early 20s. Just as Kyo still looked like the 19 year old boy Shingo had trained under before he went missing.  
  
"When did you become an Elf, Kusanagi-san?" Shingo tilted his head to one side, looking at Kyo. He still wasn't used to seeing his friend and former martial arts teacher as an Elf.  
  
Kyo looked away at Shingo's question. "That was years back, Shingo. Let the past be."  
  
"H-Hai, Kusanagi-san."  
  
Hey, sorry bout the delay again. Too much work, too little time, ne?  
  
Thanks again for the reviews! Keep em coming! The more I get, the more inspired to write I'll be! (^_^) 


End file.
